


Going On

by Relevant_Peach



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Complete, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-11-23 21:27:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 41,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20896370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Relevant_Peach/pseuds/Relevant_Peach
Summary: After losing his magic, Harry has his hands full coping with Teddy's accidental magic.  An unexpected caretaker moves in to help out. Can he and Severus manage to get along?





	1. Naughty Nifflers and Other Childcare Adventures

It was Wednesday, which meant that Harry was en route to Ron and Hermione’s. The kids would be done school soon, and Harry dubbed this part of his day ‘the care and feeding of magical creatures’. Rose and Hugo were enough of a handful themselves, but on Wednesday, he also had Teddy, and, on the odd day that Mrs. Weasley was busy, Victoire and Dominique. It was bedlam, pure and simple, and Harry was never happier than when he had a houseful. He pulled the minivan into the garden, and stepped outside. Hermione had done something impressive with the wards, so he didn’t have to worry about trying to Alohamora the door. Cleverest witch of our age, he thought to himself happily, as he entered the cluttered and homey cottage and began preparing snacks.

The floo whooshed green, and a pile of children erupted from the hearth, their excited chattering interrupting the peace and quiet. Teddy, laughing, said “Uncle Harry! We had a Niffler at school today!”

“A niffler!” Harry exclaimed in mock surprise. “Was he naughty?”

“Ever so!” Rose crowed. “It’s not ‘sponsible, having such a bad creature near children”

“Did your mum teach you that word? Responsible?” Harry was serving milk and biscuits and the kids crowded around the kitchen island.

“Sort of” Rose allowed. “She was telling dad that it wasn’t ‘sponsible for Uncle George to take me up on his broom”

“Ah” Harry answered. “But did you enjoy being on the broom?”

Rose nodded, wiping her mouth with a napkin. 

“Well, my little Rosebud, it’s important to remember that responsibility is good. And having fun and trying something daring is also good sometimes too”

“I’m daring!” Victoire offered, her blonde hair falling into her eyes.

“Indeed you are, petit” Harry told her. “Do you think you’ll be a Gryffindor when you go to Hogwarts?”

“Like you!” she said.

“Uncle Harry” Dominique was the littlest, but also the most serious of these four children. 

“What is it, my love?” he asked, ignoring the shouts of the other children to listen to her. She didn’t volunteer much, so he always made sure to take the time to make sure she felt heard.

“You went to Hogwarts, mais non?”

“I did”

“So why don’t you have a wand?”

Harry smiled a little. “I have one, cheri, but I don’t use it anymore.”

“You can do wandless magic then?”

“Not quite. I got hurt when I was younger, and my magic went to sleep”

“We must wake your magic up again!” Victoire smiled brilliantly at him, the solution obvious. 

“Didn’t your maman tell you not to wake a sleeping dragon?” Harry laughed at her serious little face. “Perhaps if we woke my magic up, I would be grumpy and cross!”

“Like Snape!” Teddy volunteers.

“Merlin, Teddy, don’t make me regret telling you those stories about school. Snape wasn’t grumpy and cross. He just had a hard life, and had to do difficult things. He was very brave, and don’t you forget it!”

“I won’t, Uncle Harry.”

“Now, I hear something coming” Harry cocked his head to the side, listening intently. “It’s a tickle monster!” The children shrieked and scattered, even Teddy, who was beginning to feel a little old for such games, and Harry chased them, laughing until the floo flared again, and Hermione came through the grate, heavily pregnant, her arms full of files and her face wreathed in exhaustion. 

She planted a kiss on each child in turn, finishing with Harry, her arms wrapping around him and squeezing tight. “You give the best hugs” he said with a smile.

“How have they been?” she asked

“Angels. Simply perfect” he responded, regarding them fondly.

“Nothing happened?”

“Of course not. It was forty minutes. We had snacks, I chased them around. We were fine”

“Good. You know I worry though. What if something happened?”

“‘Mione, I have my mobile, and I could call you, or Mrs. Weasley, or Ron or Draco. You worry too much. Lots of people live in the world without magic.”

“They live in the Muggle world without magic. It’s much more difficult for someone in the magical world, as you well know.”

“Hermione, if you want me to stop watching the children, it’s fine”

“I don’t want that, Harry Potter, and you know it” Hermione was indignant. “I just think that there’s something that could be done-“

“No” Harry’s voice was like steel, and the tone caused Teddy to look up in surprise from the book he’d been reading. “‘Mione, we’ve talked about this. I’m fine. Better than fine. Stop meddling”

“I just-“

“Come on Teddy bear, let’s get home to Gran’s house” Harry clapped his hands and the conversation was over. Hermione gave him a look, but Harry wasn’t paying attention, instead grabbing Teddy’s backpack, and kissing each child’s forehead. He loaded Teddy into the minivan and they were off to Andromeda's in time for dinner.

After Teddy had been tucked in, and Harry and Andromeda sat companionably by the fire, Harry buried himself in a book, and Andromeda quietly made shapes out of the flames. Finally she spoke. “I spoke with my Healer today”

“Oh?” Harry was only half paying attention.

“It’s bad, Harry.”

The book fell to his feet. “Tell me” he said quietly, unable to look at her.

“It’s Vanishing Sickness. I’ll have very little time to put my affairs in order”

“Oh Andy” Harry sighed. “Merlin, life can be cruel. I’m so sorry. I’m so desperately sad”

“It can’t be helped.” Andromeda seemed to be all business, but Harry knew it was her coping mechanism. “You’ll care for Teddy?”

“Of course, he’s my life”

“You’ll seek help?”

“I’ll have to, won’t I?”

“Harry, I mean it. Don’t let your pride prevent you from being a good father to Teddy”

Harry was a little hurt. “Andy, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure that Teddy is safe.”

“Good. Then stop chasing people away. Find someone to love, find someone who has magic and can help you raise Teddy”

“I don’t need magic to raise Teddy”

Andromeda didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t need to. She and Harry had had this argument, in variations, for the better part of nine years. When, broken and exhausted, Harry had emerged from the infirmary at Hogwarts after the Final Battle, he’d been greeted by a Gringott’s goblin, who read the last will and testament of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, decreeing that Harry would be the sole guardian of one Theodore Remus Lupin. Harry had barely been able to care for himself, then, overwhelmed with the struggles of learning to cope in a magical world without the ability to perform it. He’d been grieving the loss of his magic, the loss of his innocence. Andromeda had leapt into the breach, not only caring for Teddy, but also taking Harry under her wing. 

It was to Andy that Harry had sobbed his disappointment when he and Ginny had broken up. Ginny had fancied herself the wife of the famous Boy Who Lived, not a Squib who still woke most nights with nightmares. It was to Andy that Harry admitted later that he was secretly relieved that Ginny was gone, and later, that Harry was more interested in men than women. Andy had patiently taught Harry how to test the temperature of bathwater with an elbow, and how to prepare a bottle. It was Andy who had unconditionally accepted Harry as himself, and taught him how to be a member of a family.

And then, inexplicably, a few days after their conversation by the fire, she was gone, and Harry was all that Teddy had. It had been incredibly difficult to explain to a nine-year-old why his Gran had died so suddenly. “Why does everybody die?” he sobbed into Harry’s lap, and Harry didn’t have an answer. He wished he knew.

At first, it wasn’t too difficult. Harry drove Teddy to school in the minivan, made meals on the hob, just as he used to do as a child. He lit candles by hand, and Teddy could use the floo on his own, as long as someone were on the other end to meet him. Grimmauld Place worked against him, though. Harry spent a frustrating day in the park across the street, because the Fidelius wouldn’t recognize him and the house wouldn’t appear. “But” Harry said cheerfully to Draco the next day “That’s easily solved. I have pots of money, and we’ll just buy a house that doesn’t have Fidelius.” He grinned easily, and then added “And one that doesn’t have elf heads stuck to the walls”

Draco eyed him skeptically, but said nothing. They’d been friends long enough that Draco knew better than to talk him out of anything. Harry would realize that he was overestimating his abilities on his own, hopefully, but nobody would be able to tell him so in the meantime. Sighing, Draco returned again to the vexing problem of Harry’s magic. It hadn’t been the final battle with Voldemort that had drained his entire magical core. Harry had walked away without a scratch, casting bright red sparks into the air to signify that the battle had ended. Then, he had disappeared for nearly an hour, returning to the castle looking exhausted and stumbling to the hospital ward without a word for anyone. 

Draco, had been levitated to the bed next to him, suffering from a nasty cutting hex, administered by a Death Eater who was furious at Draco’s defection to the Order. He’d lost so much blood that he’d been bedridden for days, along with the magically exhausted Potter. Pomphrey clucked at him, casting spell after spell. As he regained his strength, his magic simply hadn’t returned. The only upside to the situation was that Draco and Harry had formed a strong friendship, against all odds. It hadn’t taken a now-chastened and humbled Draco Malfoy very long to see why so many people looked up to Harry. He was fun-loving and laughed more than anyone Draco knew. And Harry was unfailingly kind. Somehow, after having both seen the worst thing they could imagine, petty differences from the past were cast aside, and they’d started over. Now, Draco couldn’t imagine life without Harry, and he continued to try to think of something to restore his magic.

Harry, on the other hand, flatly refused any interludes related to restoring his power. He was cheerful when anyone brought up the subject…until they pushed too hard, when he would coldly end the conversation and leave. It simply wasn’t up for discussion.

Draco cast a quick tempus and realized that he was late. “Merlin, Astoria will kill me if I miss dinner. You’re sure you’re okay to watch Scorpius?”

“Of course! It’s been too long since we’ve had him. Between you and Astoria, you’re overloaded him with Slytherinness. I’m going to have to nurture some Gryffindor qualities in this boy.” Harry juggled the baby on his hip. At nearly two years old, the baby simply adored Harry, and was usually found toddling after him whenever they were together.

“None of that” Draco sniffed. “Scorpius is going to be a Malfoy, with everything that comes along with it”

“Prat” Harry said affectionately. “Scorp, your daddy is a prat” The baby’s eyes widened and he chuckled.

“I’ll be going. I need to speak to my lawyer, draw up some papers to revoke your rights as Godfather” Draco teased, placing a kiss on the baby’s head and giving Harry’s shoulder a friendly squeeze. “I’ll be by to pick him up in a few hours”

“Don’t rush, we’ll be going to get Lion tattoos after dinner” Harry said.

Dinner with his wife had been lovely, Draco reflected, as he lingered over a post-meal glass of wine. Since Scorpius had been born, they’d been taking time together as they could snatch it, and Draco was truly grateful that Harry loved spending time with Scorpius as much as the child loved his Uncle Harry. As he drained his glass, Draco smoothed his robes, and flooed through to Grimmauld Place. As he stepped through the floo, the first thing he heard was crying. He smiled a little, Harry obviously had his hands full with cranky children. It served him right for stuffing them full of sugar and keeping them up too late, he thought to himself.

“What’s this?” he called out. The crying appeared to be coming from upstairs. Curiously, it hadn’t abated, and it seemed that both Teddy and Scorpius were wailing. “Harry?” he called, but there was no answer. Making his way into Teddy’s room, Draco stopped short. Teddy was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth sobbing. 


	2. This Can't Go On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thanks to those folks who have reviewed! That's exciting! A fairly speedy new chapter for you, but I'm out of country on business for the next week, so I wanted to give you something before I left. Thanks for reading!
> 
> * * * *

As he heard Draco gasp, the child looked up, his face full of misery. “I’m sorry” he wailed.

The room was filled with pointy shards of glass. Every window and the enormous mirror over the fireplace had shattered, sending their pieces in projectiles across the room. Harry lay prone, his body covering Scorpius’. The back of his robes were soaked with blood. Scorpius was clinging to Harry in terror. A tiny cut grazed the baby’s forehead, in rather the same place where Harry’s lightning bolt scar was. With a cry of alarm, Draco launched across the room to check Harry and Scorpius. The baby seemed unharmed, other than the cut, even if he were desperately upset. Harry still wasn’t moving. Draco checked for a pulse. He was alive, but Draco could see how weak he was, likely from blood loss. 

Draco ran to the potions cabinet for a blood replenishing draught, only to stop short when he realized that potions didn’t work without magic. Fuck. This was bad. Pulling out his mobile, Draco dialled 999. As he gave Harry’s address, he realized that the Fidelius spell would prevent the emergency workers from finding his house. Fuck again. 

I need help Draco realized. Raising his wand and casting his Patronus, Draco sent a message to the person who had the coolest head under pressure. “Weasley, I need you. It’s an emergency. Come to Grimmauld. Right away.”

Returning to Harry, he removed his robes, only to find that there were enormous gashes spread out on his back. He’d clearly thrown himself in the path of the flying glass, likely to protect Scorpius. The wounds were still bleeding, and Draco felt again for a pulse. It was weak, but still present. “Teddy” he said calmly, tamping down his inner turmoil. “I need you to help me with something for Uncle Harry. Go into his bedroom and get me a pair of track pants and a t-shirt. The first ones you find”

“I’m sorry” the boy sobbed, still crouching on the floor.

“I know. It’s okay, Teddy. We’re going to make Uncle Harry better, but I need you to help me, okay? It’s really important” All Draco needed was for the ambulance men to wonder why they were all wearing robes. Draco flung his off, grateful that he had a muggle suit underneath. When the shaking boy returned, Draco gently dressed Harry in the track bottoms, but hesitated at the shirt. There was no way he wouldn’t make things worse by trying to put a shirt on him, so he left him shirtless. The sound of the floo had him exhaling in relief. “Up here!” he shouted. Ron thundered up the stairs, flying around the corner.

“What in the fuck-“

“I don’t know, I just got here. Accidental magic, I think” Draco said. I need help with the kids while I get Harry outside for the ambulance. Can you just…take them somewhere?”

“Come on guys, let’s go visit Auntie 'Mione” Ron said in a calm voice, and Teddy clung to him like a limpet.

“Uncle Ron, I hurt Uncle Harry” he sobbed.

“It’s okay, kiddo. Uncle Draco is going to take good care of him” Ron scooped up Scorpius, who shrieked at being separated from Draco and Harry. Ignoring the child’s screams, he pulled Teddy along behind him with ruthless cheerfulness, and Draco heard the floo go a minute later.

He picked Harry up, bridal style, and carried him down the stairs and out the front door. At the hospital, Draco learned that it was both not as bad as he feared, and worse than he hoped. Harry’s wounds were stitched, the black thread marring his naked back as tiny knots littered the surface. He’d been given a stranger’s blood. Weird Muggle healing, Draco shuddered. The Doctor who sewed him up wanted to know what happened, and Draco invented a story of a fall, a window. The Doctor looked tired. After all, it was now past three in the morning, and he’d been stitching Harry for hours. “I just need something to put in the report” he sighed.

“And you have something” Draco murmured, his eyes never leaving Harry’s back. He hadn’t woken yet, the shock and the medication they’ve given him mercifully keeping him under. 

“You and I both know that this man wasn’t anywhere near a window” the Doctor tried.

“Obliviate” Draco whispered, the moment that the Doctor was finished. He accioed Harry’s file, and picked him up again, casting a Disillusionment charm that won’t work on Harry, not exactly, but will keep others from looking too closely at the tall blonde man carrying the slight dark haired one. 

Then, they were back at the Manor, Astoria exclaiming in alarm at the awakening in the wee hours, the house elves twittering in alarm at the prone man that Draco had placed on a sofa. Harry’s eyes drifted open, and the moment awareness dawned on him struggled to sit up. “Scorpius? Teddy? Oh Merlin!”

“Hush. They’re fine, both of them. They’re with Ron and Hermione” Draco soothed, gently pushing Harry back into a recline.

“Draco, my god, I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I would never let Scorpius be hurt. He must have been so frightened” Harry’s eyes were dark with anguish.

Astoria had summoned tea, and she kneeled beside Harry, holding the cup up to his lips. “Will I have an explanation now?” she asked mildly, smoothing Harry’s hair back, his trademark scar appearing, still livid after all these years.

“I was putting the boys to bed. Teddy was being a bit naughty. He was overtired, and didn’t want to have his shower. I could tell that he was getting frustrated, and I should have been more patient, but Scorpius was tired too, and I was just trying to get them both to sleep. When I insisted on his shower, Teddy’s accidental magic broke every piece of glass in the room, and it flew at us. Scorp was playing on the floor, and I couldn’t do a shield charm, so I just threw myself on top of him. Oh God, Astoria, your baby. I’m so sorry.”

“Was Scorpius hurt?” Astoria asked Draco, her tone still mild.

“Not a bit” he assured her. “A tiny little scrape on his forehead. Ron took him and Teddy to his and Hermione’s. I’m sure they’re both tucked up now. He sent me a text after we got to the hospital. The boys are both fine.”

“That’s good” she said, “but Harry, I’m so sorry that you were hurt”

“M’fine” he whispered. “Oh god, how could you both be so kind to me? You should be shouting at me right now. I will never forgive myself. If anything had happened to those kids, I-“ Harry scrubbed his face with his hand, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

“Harry” Draco said gently. “Now isn’t the time to worry about that. Let’s get you upstairs, and you can rest. When you’re feeling better, we’ll talk more, okay?”

“Of course” Harry looked absolutely miserable, and Draco thought, just for a moment, that he looked like a frightened child awaiting punishment.

After getting Harry settled, Draco returned back downstairs to find Astoria sitting by the fire, her face hard. “This can’t go on, Draco”

“I know”

“I mean it. I know he’s your best friend, and I think the world of him too, but this is our son. He won’t be allowed to be with Scorpius again, not like this.”

“I know, Tori, I’ll fix it” 

The next morning, the wards chimed, and Draco sat up in bed, alarmed. It had been years since Death Eaters had been a threat, but the pounding of his heart didn’t seem to realize that. He sprang from bed and made his way downstairs, catching a glimpse of black hair as it crossed in front of a window.

He raced outside. “Harry, what the fuck? You’re not ready to be out of bed yet”

“I…I have to go, Draco”

“Where? To Grimmauld? It won’t let you in without Teddy or someone.”

“Not Grimmauld. I don’t know where. I just…I can’t stand by and let this happen. I hurt two of the people I love most in the world, Draco. I hurt innocent children. I have to go before I hurt them more”

“You’re leaving?” Draco stood, hands on hips, incredulous. “You weren’t even going to tell anyone?”

“Draco, I…I just-“

“Fuck you, Potter. You weren’t going to say anything to me? Nice fucking friend you’ve turned out to be”

“I’m doing this because I’m your friend!” Harry roared. “Draco, it’s Scorpius! And I couldn’t protect him. I’m a danger here now, and you and the others have done enough taking care of me. I was stupid to think I could stay in this world.”

“I never thought you’d be a coward” Draco’s conscience gave a little twinge at the look on Harry’s face. He’d always worn his emotions outwardly, and Draco could see the moment that Harry’s heart broke a little.

“Well” he said awkwardly, with a funny little wave of his hands as if to say ‘now you know’.

“Harry, you’re acting without thinking. You’re hurting, and frightened, and you’re just reacting right now. Stop. Stop for a moment and think about Teddy”

Harry’s face crumpled. “I am thinking of Teddy” he muttered. “He needs a proper parent, one who would be able to deal with a bit of accidental magic.”

“Well, what he has is you. Are you really going to leave a little boy who just lost his Grandmother? You’ll break that child, if you leave now. He’ll think that everyone leaves him. He’ll never trust again”

Tears appeared in Harry’s eyes, and he swiped them away in frustration. “What the fuck am I going to do, Draco?”

“You’re going to trust me, Harry. I’m going to help you get your magic back”

“No. Honestly, Draco, please” Harry suddenly looked frantic. “Have I ever lied to you or mislead you in any way?” When Draco shook his head, confused, Harry continued. “I have a really, really good reason for not wanting you to pursue this. I promise you, trying to get my magic back will make things worse. Please, Draco, if I mean anything to you, leave this alone”

“Very well. I think you’re being ridiculous, Harry, but if you insist, I won’t try to pursue returning your magic to you”

“Thank you. It’s gone, anyway, there’s no returning it”

Draco gave him a bit of a strange look. Harry’s words were final, utterly convinced. Draco had never known Harry to be that certain of anything. There was a mystery there, he knew, but Harry was stubborn enough that Draco was well aware he couldn’t pursue it.

“The fact remains, though, that you and Teddy can’t stay on your own.”

“I know. I can’t be trusted to keep him safe”

Draco groaned. “Honestly, Potter, you’re an imbecile sometimes. It’s nothing to do with trust.” He sneered. “Sodding Gryffindors, you always make it personal.”

Harry gave him a little half smile. “Well, personally, I’m freezing my bollocks off. Maybe we could continue this discussion inside?”

“Yes, and perhaps not at half five in the morning”

Draco went one step further than delaying the discussion. He summoned the Weasley-Grangers for a council of war. Once they were settled in the drawing room with tea, and the children were all ensconced in a playroom not too far away with Scorpius’ favourite house elf, he regarded them all. “It’s clear that we’ve had a bit of a near-miss. Although Harry was badly hurt, this situation could have been much worse” Harry hung his head in disgust with himself. “Stop flagellating, Potter, this is a productive discussion. You can put your hair shirt on later”

“How do you know what a hair shirt is?” Harry grumbled, but some of his colour had returned, and he was showing a bit of his old spirit again.

“At any rate, it’s become clear that Teddy and Harry won’t be able to live on their own as they are. It’s too risky, and frankly, it’s become too inconvenient for Harry. Not that your coping strategies haven’t been brill, Harry, it’s just exhausting watching you work so hard”

“I’ve been thinking of some options” Hermione said eagerly. “None of them are perfect, but I think we need to consider them all”

“Harry and Teddy could live at Hogwarts” Ron suggested. “Old Filch did just fine living in a magical castle”

“The board of directors won’t allow it, I checked” Draco said. “Despite what Harry did for the world, there’s really nothing to tie him to Hogwarts any longer, and since Harry won’t consider the Muggle Studies professorship, the board won’t allow them to stay”

“He’s welcome to stay with us” Hermione said.

“It’s an option” Draco allowed “but it doesn’t really change the fact that Harry would be on his own there for much of the day, and he’d run into the same sorts of problems he did at Grimmauld. Magical houses just aren’t set up to support those who don’t have magic. I’d offer for him to move in here as there are always people around, but-”

“But Lucius and I would kill each other before the first week was out” Harry grinned, unrepentant. He and Lucius had come to an uneasy politeness, for the sake of Draco and Narcissa, but they would never be friendly. Their politics remained worlds apart.

“Could we hire a house elf?” Harry wondered. “Kreacher could do all sorts of magic that I couldn’t. Maybe if I had a companion, he or she could assist me and keep me safe.”

“I looked into that” Hermione said. “I’m afraid that elf magic is tied to the wizard the elf is bonded to. Even if one of us hired the elf, they wouldn’t be able to take orders from you. That’s why freeing them all has proven to be so bloody difficult.”

“We’ll have to hire you a human companion.” Draco said. “Someone who is magical themselves, and who can help you with the sorts of things you aren’t able to manage”

“I hate that idea” Harry whispered. “I hate the idea of being an invalid.”

“Stop that” Ron ordered. “Do you consider Hannah Abbot an invalid?” Hannah had gotten cursed in the final battle, and had no feeling below her neck. She did have a caregiver to assist her with some things, but was a vibrant, sunny woman who didn’t let her circumstances stop her for a moment. Ron continued “If your legs stopped working, and we hired a caregiver to help you get around, you wouldn’t feel that way. This is the exact same thing”

Harry shrugged his agreement with the statement. “Fine, you’re right. We’d have to be very careful about who we hire. I just…I can’t bear to have my every humiliation broadcast to the Prophet. They’ll need an unbreakable vow, and it absolutely couldn’t be anyone who shows the slightest breath of sycophancy.”

“Of course, Harry. In the short-term, you and Teddy can stay here at the Manor, and then, when we obtain a suitable companion, we’ll move you into your own place.”

“Not Grimmauld”

“Obviously”


	3. An Unlikely Babysitter

As it turned out, the search proved to be more difficult than Draco imagined. Those who had no awe for the saviour made Harry suspicious that they were family members of Death Eaters who would murder Harry while he slept. One woman, a querulous old woman of about Minerva’s age, seemed a likely candidate, until she met Teddy, and frostily told them that she wouldn’t live with the offspring of a Dark Creature. Harry’s frustration increased, day after day, until Draco despaired of him. The tension between him and Lucius grew, and Draco felt rather like a rope being frayed at both ends.

It was late one evening, when, after reviewing the latest spate of dismal application letters, that it came to him. The plan, at first glance, seemed mad, but if there were one person alive who wouldn’t pander to Harry, but would protect him with every fibre of his being…well. With a sigh, Draco picked up quill and parchment. Now all he needed to do was convince the man.

“Absolutely not” Severus Snape had not mellowed in the years since his Headmastership at Hogwarts. In truth, the time spent alone, moodily brewing in Spinner’s End for an owl-order potions business had made him increasingly taciturn and immeasurably more bitter. “I won’t consider it. Leave me, Draco”

“I won’t, Severus. You’re the perfect person to help Harry” This argument had been raging on for over an hour, Draco doggedly insisting that Severus was the perfect choice, and Severus summarily refusing to consider it.

These latest words, however, seemed to spur a new reaction. Like an avenging angel, Severus was across the room, his face inches away from Draco, his wand at Draco’s throat. “How dare you speak to me of helping Harry Potter. I have helped Harry Potter. I have paid the price. My debt is paid”

“To Lily, perhaps, yes. Possibly to Harry himself” Draco admitted. “I do not ask for your help to pay the debts you owe them”

The silence stretched out, then. Severus withdrew his wand and retreated into his armchair, his face stonily absent of emotion. “You wish to invoke the life debt I owe you, Draco?” his voice was quiet, resigned. “Why? Why would you squander such a thing for Potter?”

Draco considered this. “Because he has sacrificed everything for our world. Because he would do the same for me without hesitation. Because he’s my friend” He shrugged.

“The Draco Malfoy I once knew would not have squandered a life debt for such sentimental reasons” Severus sneered.

“The Draco Malfoy you knew died in Fiendfire in the Room of Requirement. If you won’t do this for your own reasons, then yes, I invoke the life debt you owe me, Severus Snape. You will be Harry’s caregiver. You will treat him, and his godson, with care. You will ease his suffering.”

“You’d like me to pander to him like all of the other nauseatingly brainless fanatics?”

“Of course not, Severus. I’m not asking you to pamper him. I’m asking you to help him to survive in a world that he deserves to live in”

“For the rest of my life?” Severus asked hollowly. “You’d have me taste freedom from two masters who made my existence a torment, only to enslave me to a new master?”

Draco stilled. Perhaps he was asking too much of the man. “Godfather. If I had any other option, I wouldn’t ask this of you. And I’m not cruel enough to tie you to a lifetime of servitude. One year, enough time for us to find someone else, or for Harry to make a decision to leave the magical world. After that time, I will release you of your debt to me.”

Severus sighed. “It seems I’m doomed to be tied to Harry Potter yet again”

Draco placed a tentative hand on Severus’ arm. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

“Grateful enough to sacrifice something of value to me?” Severus’ smile was feral. 

“What do you want?”

“The Scrying bowl” The artifact was ancient, and one of the most powerful relic that the Malfoys owned.

Draco sighed. “Fine. But only after the year is completed” Lucius was going to kill him.

If Draco had thought that it were difficult to convince Severus, the notion of convincing Harry was more intimidating still. He’d returned to the Manor to find Harry in his room, moodily reading Quidditch Through the Ages. “I have a plan” Draco announced, his tone belying none of his apprehension.

“Do you?” Harry asked mildly, not looking up for his book.

“I’ve found an adequate companion for you and Teddy. And my estate agent has found you a cottage in Godric’s Hollow.”

“You have been busy” Harry said with a smile. “Will I like the cottage?”

“It’s…quaint” Draco allowed. “You’ll love it”

“So you hate it then?”

“It’s foul”

“Perfect” Harry grinned. “When can I move in?”

“Your companion has some personal matters to attend to. He’ll be ready to move in by the weekend”

“Ooh,” Harry leered. “You’ve gotten me a male nurse. Draco, I didn’t know you cared”

Draco gave him a look. “He’s not a nurse. He has many other talents, but mostly, he’ll be there to keep you company, to help you with things, to act as a magical proxy for you”

“Is he cute?”

For a desperate moment, Draco thought he’d laugh, huge echoing brays that would never stop. This was surreal. “I don’t believe that anyone has ever referred to him that way”

“What’s his name? Do I know him?”

“You do”

“The fact that you’re being cagey about this makes me nervous, Draco. Something tells me I’m not going to like this caregiver.”

“No, I don’t suppose you will”

“Draco” Harry’s voice held a warning tone that Draco hadn’t heard since sixth year. At least he can’t hex me Draco thought gloomily.

“It’s Snape.”

“No it bloody well isn’t, Draco Malfoy”

“He meets all of your criteria. He won’t be too…” Draco waved his hand vaguely in Harry’s direction “star-fucker-y about you, he is magically powerful enough to protect you, he doesn’t have the obligations of a family or a job…”

“I didn’t realize that I had to specify not to be a miserable bastard who hates me” Harry was furious. Not for the first time, Draco wondered if being friends with an emotional Gryffindor was worth the trouble.

“Harry, what would you have me do? Finding someone who won’t fawn over you and doesn’t want to kill you isn’t easy! Most people fall into one of the two categories. And as much as I love having you here, you and Father are about to kill one another.” Uncharacteristically, Draco raked a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. “I am doing my best to help you, but I’m running out of options”

Harry’s ire evaporated immediately. “I’m sorry Draco. I do appreciate what you’re doing, and I know that this situation can’t last any longer. I’m being a prat. Besides, if Severus agreed to it, he must be ready to let bygones be bygones, right?”

“Er…yes, I think so” Draco said uneasily, feeling every inch a coward.

Moving day dawned bright and sunny, and Harry fought growing waves of anxiety as Teddy excitedly ate his breakfast and discussed whether his room would be painted green or blue. Harry had spent the prior two weeks packing their necessities for the move to the new house. In truth, he hadn’t even bothered looking at the place…Draco had assured him it had everything he needed, and, exhausted by the turn his life had taken in the past weeks, Harry was more than happy to cede control. After all, he reasoned, he’d lived in Grimmauld Place…it wasn’t like he needed much out of a house.

Draco had shrunken the last of their possessions, and disappeared into the floo with an unbearably excited Teddy. As he returned for Harry, he found the man bent at the waist, his palms on his thighs, eyes squeezed tightly shut. “It’s going to be fine, Harry” he murmured, putting a hand on the shaking man’s back.

“You keep saying that, Draco. I hope you’re right.”

“Let’s go, Hermione and Ron and the kids are waiting for you.”

“Sure, just…can I ask you something?”

“Of course”

“If this doesn’t work, will you take Teddy?”

“Harry” Draco gave him his trademark 'you’re ridiculous and I’m judging you for it' look. “None of that. You’re going to be fine, and you’re Teddy’s dad. Of course this is going to work” I hope, he thought.

“But if it doesn’t. Draco, I worry about Teddy all the time. I can’t sleep because I lie awake worrying that I’m going to let him get hurt. If anything else happens…I just promised Andy that I’d keep him safe”

“If it makes you feel better, yes, of course I’d never let anything happen to Teddy. But he’s going to be just fine, and you’re going to raise him so beautifully. You’re a fantastic father”

Harry’s eyes still lacked their trademark shine, and Draco lamented that he’d seen that spark less and less lately. Maybe being in the wizarding world was taking too great a toll on Harry. Shelving that thought as far too difficult to wrestle with, Draco bundled Harry through the floo to his new home.

As Harry stumbled across the grate, reeling with the nausea of floo travel, he noted that Snape was sitting at the table, serenely drinking tea, and watching Harry’s clumsiness with his trademark sneer. “Potter” he remarked. “It seems that becoming a Squib hasn’t done anything to improve your gracefulness."

“Good morning, Professor Snape” Harry said quietly. “Where are Hermione and Teddy?”

“Ms Granger-Weasley and Theodore have gone to investigate his bedroom.” Snape said. “I thought it might be judicious to establish some procedures and ground rules before we all get carried away by the…excitement” His voice was icy, and Harry was once again a quivering first-year under his gaze.

“That’s a good idea, Severus” Draco said, placing a steadying arm on Harry’s and guiding him into a seat. 

For a moment, none of the three men spoke, each awaiting another to begin negotiations. When it became obvious that Harry didn’t know where to begin, Draco once again smoothly filled the void. “Well, Severus, as you know, Harry is remarkably self-sufficient and inventive.”

“Indeed” Severus said with a frosty little incline of his head.

Honestly, it was like pulling dragon’s teeth, trying to get this man to be remotely pleasant, Draco thought, squaring his shoulders and continuing. “He and Teddy will largely be fine to continue as they have been. Harry mostly uses a Muggle van to get around places, and the house is set up to operate largely without magic. He has a cell phone to communicate to most of us, and most days, I suspect that he won’t need any assistance at all.” Draco smiled fondly at Harry. “Harry’s a marvel, Uncle Severus. You’ll be amazed at how well he does”

“Yes, I’m certain that his ability to perform basic adult tasks like the rest of us will astound and delight me.”

Harry’s eyes filled with hurt and he looked down at his hands, which were clenching one another atop the table. “Draco” he said mildly, but there was an undercurrent of warning in his tone. “The Professor doesn’t want to hear you go on about me. Let’s just get this over with”

“Ah, Mr. Potter, but there really is no ‘over with’, is there? I’m stuck here, and you’re stuck with me”

At Snape’s words, Harry stiffened. He’d been friends for Draco for years now, and somehow, he’d never learned to ask enough questions, or the right questions. Somehow, he always ended up unpleasantly surprised by his machinations. “Draco” Harry said in a very, very calm voice, which caused Draco’s eyes to widen a little. “May I please speak to you in the other room for a moment?”

“You called in a bloody life debt?” Harry’s voice had increased in volume, and so instead of muffled whispers, Severus could hear the discussion, or at least Potter’s side of it, clearly now.

Whatever Draco said didn’t seem to soothe Harry, because his voice was booming, “…of all the cruel, underhanded things you can possibly have done! He’s a sodding war hero Draco, and his sacrifices for me can never be repaid. So of course to thank him for his incredible gift, you’ve tied him to me, unwillingly, to pay a fucking life debt? This is not on, Draco, this is not fucking on. If you think for one second that I’ll be party to enslaving that man again, then you haven’t got the faintest idea about who I am.”

Draco’s voice murmured a response, but Harry was still shouting. “You’ll undo this travesty right this fucking minute, Draco, or so help me-“

“You’ll what, Harry? You’ll hex me?” Draco had gotten frustrated too, and now Severus could hear his side of the conversation. 

“No, I’ll fucking punch you, you prat! Undo this! Free him, right this minute!”

“Don’t be so fucking stupid, you can’t manage on your own, remember? Astoria won’t let you see Scorpius otherwise, and Hermione and Ron and Bill and Fleur won’t let you see theirs either. This is your only choice, you daft imbecile! Besides that, you can’t undo stuff like this. It’s a magical contract, and breaking it has serious implications”

Harry groaned in frustration, and Severus heard him stalk across the room. There was a thump, which he assumed meant that either Harry actually had punched Draco, or something else. Since Draco continued talking, Severus assumed it was something else.

“Harry. You’re my best friend. I would do anything in the world for you. I knew that you’d never agree to this, but I can’t lose you. You can’t leave us, Harry. Don’t you see that we’re so much better because you’re in our life? Harry, you’re family. We love you. Please just try” 

Severus was stunned, both at Potter’s defence of him, as well as Draco’s uncharacteristic outburst of emotion. Malfoys didn’t beg, and Malfoys didn’t tell people that they loved them. He’d been surprised when the two former enemies had become friends, but it had clearly been good, at least as far as Draco was concerned. His Godson had finally grown up, and was now putting others before himself. Unexpected pride bubbled in Severus’ chest. Draco had become a fine man. And Potter. Severus had been under the impression that he’d somehow manipulated Draco into enforcing the life debt, but clearly that was not the case. And he’d not objected to Snape’s presence because of Severus himself, but because it was unfair to ask it of him. Severus sniffed. Sentimental, bleeding heart… Gryffindor.

The two men returned to the table. Harry’s eyes were suspiciously red, as though Draco’s words had made him emotional, which, they likely had, Severus decided, with a derisive little smirk.

“Sir” Potter said miserably “I had no idea the circumstances of your being here. I’m terribly sorry to inconvenience you so, and Teddy and I will try to make things as painless as possible for you.”

“Indeed” Severus said, his tone lacking its usual bite. “If we endeavour to stay out of one another’s way, it’s possible that we can make this work without killing one another. I prefer to brew in the early morning. I must not be disturbed.”

“Of course, sir. Teddy and I have a pretty established routine to get him up and dressed and off to school. I can’t imagine that we'll need anything from you.”

“And in the afternoon, I prefer to do research. I’ll ward the door to my laboratory for privacy and quiet.”

“That’s fine. I lead a support group for those who have lost their magic, so I’m out most afternoons anyway. Teddy and I usually get home around 4.”

“That will be acceptable.”

“Of course, while you’re here, you’re my guest, so you’re welcome to join us for meals, or, if you prefer, you can take them in private, in the library or your room. If you need anything, just put it on the list.” Harry gestured to a brightly coloured notepad that was affixed to the fridge. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am, sir”

Severus inclined his head again. He felt a little wrong-footed, as, try as he might, he couldn’t find anything to be annoyed with. Potter’s attitude had been respectful and agreeable. If only he’d been like this as a student, he thought. “See that the little whelp you call a godson keeps his noise to an acceptable level.” he said. “I’m not accustomed to living with a child.”

“I know that sir. We’ll do our best. Teddy is a wonderful young man. However, this is his home, and I won’t insist that he tiptoe around. He needs space to be a child, and that sometimes comes with a bit of noise.”

“No doubt the cub is as spoiled and overindulged as you were as a child.” Severus wasn’t sure why he was provoking Potter, but it seemed that he was unable to resist. 

Sure enough, Potter’s famous temper started to show itself. “Teddy is neither spoiled nor overindulged...“ he stopped abruptly, and took a breath. “We’ll do our best not to disturb you, sir.” he finished, casting a somewhat desperate look at Draco.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll sort out the smaller details over time” Draco said. “I should get back home. You’ll call if you need anything?”

Harry nodded, standing to embrace his friend. “Draco, I…thank you. All that stuff you said before? Thanks, and…well, you know I-“

“Yes, yes, Potter, I know you love me too. Good luck, gentlemen.” With a saucy wink, Draco disappeared into the floo. 

Harry was gathering up the tea things, and Severus awkwardly stood. He thought that he should offer to help, but would that set a precedent of Severus being Harry’s domestic slave? Harry didn’t seem to be paying him much attention, stacking cups and teaspoons onto the tray and balancing it on his hip. As he disappeared to the sink, he cast a glance back at Severus. “I’m going to spend most of the morning unpacking, but I thought we’d have lunch around one?”

Severus nodded, and without another word disappeared into his lab. 


	4. Stubborn Gryffindors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick chapter to move us along to the next phase of our three boys co-habitating.
> 
> I am LOVING your comments and reactions to how everyone's handing their circumstances. Please keep them coming!!!
> 
> * * * * * * * * * * *

Severus spent a pleasant half hour or so unpacking his equipment, setting it into place with an idle flick of his wand. Shortly thereafter, his ingredients stores were similarly unpacked and organized, and by one, he’d already begun brewing. He ascended the stairs from his lab and made his way to the kitchen, only to find that it looked like a bomb had exploded there. Large cartons littered the floor surface, and it seemed that Harry had opened every cupboard and drawer. The man in question was in one of the cupboards below the sink, presenting Severus with a not-unwelcome view of an admittedly fine arse. There was a noise within the cupboard, followed by a curse and Harry emerged rubbing his forehead. Embarrassed that he’d been staring at the man, Severus grumbled “What is the meaning of this mess?”

Harry grinned “It’s unpacking, Sir. You should have seen the place an hour ago! I should be nearly finished the kitchen by dinnertime. In the meantime, though, you must be starving. Hold on 'til I call Teddy” Harry bounced out of the kitchen, and Severus could hear him calling the child and an excited voice calling back. As they entered the kitchen, the boy continued to chatter away to Harry, and Severus wanted to shout at the child to stop talking.

Before he had a chance though, Harry said, “Teddy, remember I told you that we’d have a special houseguest staying with us to help out? This is Professor Snape, and I want you to be on your very best behaviour. Don’t forget that it’s rude to monopolize the conversation, and make sure that you’re greeting a guest as we practiced”

The boy’s eyes widened “Professor Snape, sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you” It was obvious that he and Harry had practiced the greeting, because when he got it correct, he sent a beaming grin at his Godfather, who nodded encouragingly.

“Mister Lupin, I’m pleased to meet you as well” Snape said to the boy, who, despite his enthusiasm, at least displayed nice manners. Although, he hadn’t seen the child handle a knife and fork yet. If his Godfather’s table manners were any indication, this child would also eat as though he’d never been fed.

They sat at the table, and Harry produced a huge salad laden with fruits and vegetables, as well as hearty tomato soup and freshly baked bread. Severus tucked in immediately, and was impressed to find that the food was delicious. “Who produced this meal?” he asked.

Harry answered “Teddy helped with the salad, but I made the soup and bread. I’m sorry it’s not much, sir. I’ll provide something heartier tomorrow. I just haven’t unpacked all of the kitchen yet, so we had to make do”

“This is adequate” Severus allowed.

“Professor Snape?” the child was gazing at him eagerly.

“I haven’t been a professor for some time. You may call me Mister Snape”

“Mister Snape, is it true that you were the youngest potions master in all of Europe?” 

“Yes. Who told you that?”

A blush lit up Harry’s cheeks. “Sorry sir, that would be me. Teddy has a fascination with potions, and we were learning about potions masters. He hasn’t quite forgiven me for squandering the six years of education I received from the finest potions master in Britain.”

“Mister Snape, was Uncle Harry really as terrible as Uncle Draco says he was at brewing?” Teddy was casting him an arch look. “Uncle Draco lets me help him sometimes, but Uncle Harry doesn’t even try anymore”

Harry laughed “It’s not like I could brew a potion now anyhow, Teddy. You need magic for potions. But you’re right. I didn’t properly appreciate my educational opportunities when I had them.”

“You were…somewhat distracted by your extracurriculars” Severus allowed. Harry rewarded him with another grin. Severus found himself wanting to smile back, before he restored his normal features and cleared his throat. “I must go continue brewing”

Severus was at a tricky stage of a rather complicated experimental potion when an enormous crash from overhead startled him. Instead of adding four drops of Runespoor venom, he added six, botching the potion completely. With an irritated flick of his wand, he banished the entire useless mess and stomped up the stairs.

As he was rounding the corner, he ran into Theodore, whose eyes were big with fright. “Professor Snape, sir, it’s Uncle Harry! Please come!” The boy turned on his heel and sped up the stairs to his bedroom. Severus followed, only to find Harry underneath a huge bookcase. 

“Potter!” Severus snapped. “What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

Harry laughed from underneath the bookcase. “Sorry, sir! I imagine I’m being quite loud. Just a little mishap with a bookcase.” Before Severus could raise his wand to levitate the bookcase off of the imbecile, Harry was lifting the bookcase with strong arms and placing it in its spot between the windows. As he raised the bookcase, his t-shirt raised with his arms, revealing a flat stomach and an enticing trail of dark hair that disappeared into his jeans. “Teddy, I told you not to get Mister Snape. I was fine”

Mister Snape was currently trying to retain an impassive face while coping with his visceral response to the unexpected sight of Potter’s flat stomach. “Foolish boy” he seethed. “You could have been injured”

“I’m awfully sorry to have disturbed you, sir. Feel free to place some silencing charms on the upper floor if you prefer. I expect to have most of the furniture in place by this evening”

“Why wouldn’t you have waited for help?” Severus asked, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

“Because I didn’t need help, sir. I’m perfectly capable of moving a bit of furniture around. I’m quite strong, you see.”

“Why am I here, if not to help you?” Severus wanted to know.

“You’re here, sir, because my friends are overprotective, and they’ve placed limitations on how I interact with my godchildren. You’re here because Draco has the skills of Merlin when it comes to manipulation.” Harry had been polite all day, but his patience was beginning to fray a little. “I’ll be honest with you, sir. I’m not any more thrilled with the situation than you are, especially when I realized how you’d been coerced into agreeing to it. I’m hoping to trouble you as little as possible.”

“But you’re being immeasurably stubborn, Potter. Why didn’t you ask me to unpack the kitchen using magic? What took you all morning would have taken about ten minutes if I’d helped you”

“Because” Harry’s voice took on a hint of steeliness. “I enjoy being self-sufficient. I realize that doing things without magic takes longer, but I have plenty of time. I don’t currently have a full time job, and I think it’s important for Teddy to see that we all have adversity in our lives that we need to overcome.” A glint appeared in those exquisite damned eyes that filled Severus with disquiet. “Besides. You’ve made it abundantly clear that you wish to be disrupted as little as possible, and I’d rather save your efforts for something more worthwhile of your…talents” Severus felt his brow furrow. On the surface, the words were innocuous enough. But there was a hint of mischief somewhere there that led Severus to believe that the whelp were teasing him.

“Very well” Severus sniffed, his defences locking into place more firmly than the doors of Hogwarts. “If there’s nothing further”

“Nope. We’re fine, aren’t we, Ted?”

“I guess so, Uncle Harry, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t take the help that’s being offered.”

“Ah, it’s quite the puzzle, but nobody said your Uncle Harry was uncomplicated” with a little smile, Harry cracked open another carton and began unpacking Teddy’s books into the bookshelf.

As Severus returned to the lab and began rebuilding the potion, he seethed. Ungrateful brat. How dare he mock the one man who stood to prevent him from difficulty? But when had Potter been any different? Smashing his cauldron onto the flame, Snape growled and set about recreating his experiment.


	5. Something Wrong with Uncle Harry

Several days passed, during which Potter and his insufferable Godson stayed mostly out of Severus’ way. Potter produced three excellent meals a day, which Snape took in the library, and, true to his word, the two of them were out quite a bit. When they were home, there seemed to be an endless parade of Gryffindors about the house. And Draco, who appeared, blonde toddler in tow, most evenings before dinnertime. Harry reacted with delight to see the baby, and only mildly less effusively to see its father. Draco would deposit Scorpius in Harry’s waiting arms, and make his way to Severus’ labs to poke around at his potions ingredients.

“How’s it all going?” Draco asked Severus one such day. There were thumps and shrieks overhead, as though Potter were pulling the house down to the foundations, but Severus had learned that, although the noises sounded ominous, they were far more likely to be the result of some sort of chasing and shouting game that Harry had devised. 

“It’s passable” Severus said carefully. In truth, his lifestyle were improved here. The food was certainly better, and, without the concern of turning a profit in his owl-order potions business, Severus was able to devote more time to research.

“You and Harry haven’t been arguing?”

“I’ll admit that he keeps to himself most of the time” Severus knew it sounded grudging. “He’s insufferably stubborn, though. He won’t accept help when it’s offered”

“Harry’s independence is important to him. Losing his magic was more difficult than he lets on. He appears as though he doesn’t miss it, but he was such a powerful Wizard that he performed a lot of it without even thinking. Harry’s more humble than most people,” at this Severus snorted. “No, Severus, you’ve always had a blind spot when it comes to Harry. It’s true. If you’d stop holding onto the past, you’d see it too. He’s humble, but it hurts him to have to rely on someone else. It’s as though he’s afraid that if he’s too much of a bother to people, they’ll give up on him”

Draco idly toyed with a sprig of snowdrop. “I think it was those horrible Muggles who raised him” he continued. “Harry won’t talk about it much, but I don’t think that they were very kind to him. He’s got these scars, you know, non-magical ones. And he was always so scrawny when he came back after the summer. And how do you explain how much of a shortarse he is? I heard that James and Lily Potter were both average height at least, but Harry’s like an elf or something, he’s so little-“

“You’ve obviously thought a great deal about this” Severus remained outwardly calm, but inwardly, his meticulous mind had begun to catalog some of his encounters with Potter as a boy. The awkward, hunching way he flinched whenever a hand approached the back of his neck. The way his eyes widened in the dining hall at the sheer volume of food provided, and the subsequent way he ate quickly, but with those green eyes darting around, as if he were expecting someone to abruptly remove his plate. The hungry way he’d watched the Weasley family’s open affection for one another. Could it be possible that Harry hadn’t been a coddled little sultan in his Muggle home? Certainly Petunia Evans had been an ill-tempered, jealous monster, but surely she had loved her own nephew?

“Of course I’ve thought about it, Severus, he was my enemy for six years at Hogwarts, and now he’s my best friend. Have you not noticed the way that he looks around sometimes at the people around him, as though it were Christmas morning, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was? Merlin, my parents have their flaws, but I always felt treasured by them. I can’t imagine what it might be like to grow up without that”

I can, Severus thought savagely. But a niggling sense of guilt was eating at his belly. He’d been a Head of House. Had seen more than his fair share of broken, unloved children come through Hogwarts. Slytherin House always seemed to attract the damaged children. Odd that Potter hadn’t...but, he fiercely reoriented himself to his original train of thought, he’d seen what abused children looked like. Had his own hatred and arrogance really blinded him to the fact that Harry’s Muggles had been mistreating him? And Albus…how had Albus allowed such a thing to continue? Severus wasn’t blind to the fact that Albus’ machinations tended to overlook the cost to the individual, but Harry had been his golden child. Had he really allowed him to have grown up unloved?

Obviously not. Draco was clearly reading more into Potter’s behaviour than was actually there. “You’re turning into another bleeding heart Gryffindor, Draconus” 

“We’re a little old to be falling into stereotypes based on a sodding hat’s interpretation, aren’t we? Besides, I’ve learned that there are worse things to be than a Gryffindor” Draco’s voice was a little hollow. 

“If you say” Severus returned to his cauldron, and Draco, realizing that Severus was no longer in a talking mood, disappeared back up the stairs to the giggling, shrieking maelstrom of children. And one child, slightly larger than the rest, who ought to know better.

Potter’s childhood had mostly left Severus’ mind after a few weeks. He was in the kitchen on a rainy Saturday morning, brewing tea and considering a vexing problem he’d been having with a potion. Potter and the child were elsewhere in the house, playing what sounded like a fairly exuberant game of tag, but, Severus sighed, as always, within earshot. Calling on a strange sense of intuition he seemed to have, Harry suddenly said “Teds, we’re being sort of noisy, and I don’t want to disrupt Master Snape.”

“Why do you call him Master?”

“Because that’s his title, Teds. He’s a potions master, and he’s the most talented potions master Britain has seen in decades. Calling him ‘mister’ is a disrespect”

“He told me to call him Mister”

“Well, you should do what you wish, love. I’ll do as I wish. Now. Shall we play hide and seek? That’s likely quiet enough that we won’t disrupt our housemate’s important work”

“He’s not very nice, Uncle Harry”

“That’s not true, Teddy-bear. He shows it differently than others, but he’s very nice. Didn’t he mend your broom when you broke it?”

“I suppose”

“And didn’t he give you a potion to make you feel better when you were sick last week?”

“He did”

“You see? He may not be as warm as Uncle Ron” Perish the thought, Severus shuddered. “but don’t make the mistake of dismissing him. I did, for a lot of years. I didn’t see, and I was foolish. You’re smarter than me, aren’t you?”

“A crup is smarter than you, Uncle Harry,” the child laughed.

“Brat! However, I can’t deny that it’s absolutely true. Now, are you going to hide, or are you going to forfeit the game?”

“I’ll hide!”

“Just so. I’ll go into the kitchen to count.” Potter appeared in the kitchen a moment later. He smiled at Severus. “Good morning, sir. I apologize if we’ve disturbed you this morning. The rain makes Ted a little stir-crazy.”

“It’s fine.” Severus sat at the table. “I’ve made tea”

“Thanks! I’ll have some shortly, I just have a little pup to find.” With another sunny grin, Harry disappeared back out the kitchen door.

Some time later, it appeared that Teddy had found a hiding place to outsmart Harry, based on the number of times he thundered up and down the stairs. As he descended them once again, Harry cried out “I give up, Teddy. Where are you?”

There was the sound of a door opening in the front hall and suddenly Severus heard Harry moan. “Oh no. No. Oh Teds, no.”

Severus’ brow crinkled. Was the boy injured? He rose and made his way into the hallway to find Harry on the floor in front of the small doorway beneath the stairs. He’d pulled Teddy out of the small cupboard and was cradling the child like a baby. It looked ridiculous, the child’s long gangly arms and legs dwarfing his Godfather. Harry’s face was ghastly white, and his eyes seemed glazed. Teddy was looking utterly flummoxed. “Uncle Harry? Are you okay?”

Harry didn’t seem to hear the child, but was staring at the cupboard with horror and holding the child close to him. Teddy was struggling to get away. “Uncle Harry? Let go, I’m fine. Why won’t you let me go?” As he spied Severus in the doorway, Teddy cried “Master Snape? Something’s wrong with Uncle Harry!”

Severus hastened to the stricken man, whose grip on Teddy hadn’t slackened, despite the fact that he didn’t seem aware of his surroundings at all. Potter’s breath was coming in fast pants and sweat beaded on his forehead.

“Potter?” Severus ventured, prodding at the man’s arm. There was no response. “Harry?” Teddy was struggling, his Godfather’s behaviour, and the iron grip on his arms clearly frightening him. “Potter!” Severus barked, and the man jumped. He let go of the child, and blinked. 

“Oh. I…I…sorry. Sorry Teddy” he finally said vaguely, and retreated into the corner, his eyes wide and horror-filled. 

“What’s wrong?” Teddy said in agonized tones, looking at Severus as though he had the ability to fix things. Which, he supposed he did, in a manner of speaking.

Conjuring his Patronus, he waited until the it was standing obediently in front of him, its nose nuzzling at his hand. “Go to Draco Malfoy” he told the doe. “Tell him: Draco, there’s something wrong with Potter. You’re needed urgently” The doe tossed her head and disappeared through the wall. 

Although he were still frightened, Teddy looked awestruck. “That was wicked. Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Perhaps someday” Severus replied. “In the meantime, you’re rather dusty from being in that cupboard. Please go and wash your hands and you can help yourself to some biscuits from the cabinet while I see to your Godfather.”

“Alright” Teddy seemed reluctant to leave Harry in his current state, but a quick glare from Severus had him scampering off to the loo to wash up. With the child dealt with, Severus turned his attention to…the other child, who was still huddled in the corner. He’d drawn up his knees and had his arms wrapped around them, and from across the room, Severus could see that he was trembling.

“Potter?” Severus heard his knees give an ominous pop as he crouched beside the clearly terrified man.

“S-sir?” Enormous green eyes rose to meet his, and for a moment, he looked every inch the trembling child in Albus’ office after facing the Basilisk. Actually, Severus realized, he’d looked far less frightened then.

“What’s the matter?” Severus knew his voice sounded harsh, but the brat had alarmed him and interrupted his tea.

“It was just. Seeing Teddy there. It just shook me” Harry didn’t seem to want to elaborate on the few sentence fragments, leaving Severus every bit as mystified. Fortunately, he heard the woosh of the floo, and Draco had arrived.

“Harry!” Draco was instantly on the floor, his arms around the shaking man. “What’s happened?”

“Um.” Harry replied, his eyes seeming, impossibly, even wider than they had, and to Severus’ immense horror, they filled with tears, and Potter choked out a broken sob.

Draco crooned and held Harry tighter and he buried his face in Draco’s (likely expensive) jumper. Overwhelmed by too much raw emotion, and inexplicably envious of Draco’s ability to do the right thing in these situations, Severus withdrew from the scene, and busied himself with supervising young Mister Lupin. Theodore, for his part, seemed largely recovered from the events, and had a plate of chocolate biscuits in front of him as he placidly looked at a book. A half-full glass of milk sat in front of him, and the evidence that Teddy had poured it himself was spilling onto the floor. Severus banished the mess with a wave of his wand, and sat beside the child. “I see that you’ve managed to get yourself a snack?”

“Yeah. What happened there?” 

“Uncle Draco has arrived and he’s taking care of Uncle Harry.” Severus assured the boy, who, despite being removed from the situation, seemed concerned.

“Uncle Harry is funny sometimes” he said cryptically. 

“Quite” was all that Severus could think of to reply. It turned out that the younger Lupin required very little in terms of responses to his conversation. Severus had pulled out a potions journal and was reading, with some indignation, an article suggesting that two of the twelve uses for Dragon’s blood were functionally the same, and Dumbledore had perhaps overstated his research. The child continued to sit quietly, volunteering some conversation from time to time, and Severus responded with “Mmm”, which seemed to be all that was needed to set him off again. Severus had just finished saying “Mm-hmm” absently, when the child gasped.

“Really Master Snape?”

Bollocks. Snape had no idea what he’d agreed to, but rather than admit this, he simply said “Of course”

“Tomorrow then? You’ll teach me to brew a potion tomorrow?”

Filthy, sodding hairy bollocks! “I suppose” 

Draco bustled in, and dispatched Teddy into the sitting room with the Muggle television for a while, then sunk into a chair and put his head in his hands. “Fuck.” he breathed.

“I assume that Potter is unharmed?”

“Merlin, Sev, you call that unharmed? No, Harry is not unharmed. He’s as broken as I’ve ever seen him. Funny though, this one isn’t about the war.”

“This one? Draco, what in Merlin’s name are you talking about?”

“Harry sometimes suffers from flashbacks. The Healers don’t really know what to do with him since he’s lost his magic, so we’ve been taking him to a Muggle doctor. She says that he has post-trauma…something. Anyhow, he gets flashbacks, usually about the war. Funny little things take him back to the final battle, or to when Sirius fell into the Veil. This time is was a cupboard.”

“It was a very strange reaction. He seemed terrified.”

“He was. Severus, I have to ask you something. You taught Harry Occlumency, right? Did you have any idea how he was being abused by his Muggle relatives?”

“At the time, I did not. In hindsight, I am aware that he likely showed many signs of being abused. However, the Dark Lord was sending him so many visions, that it was difficult to see what was real and what wasn’t.”

“So you didn’t know that they kept him in a cupboard?” Draco’s face was impassive, but his eyes were very grey, and Severus knew the man well enough to realize that he was barely holding his composure.

“A cupboard? What on earth do you mean?”

“Until Harry went to Hogwarts, he spent most of his time in a cupboard under the stairs. He said that his first Hogwarts letters were addressed that way. Sev, did you know? I know that you hated Harry-“

“I didn’t hate the boy” A filthy look from Draco had Severus qualifying “Alright, I suppose I acted as though I did, but I couldn’t very well coddle him like Minerva and Albus did.”

“I don’t think anyone was much coddling him. You didn’t answer the question, though. Severus, did you know?”

“I didn’t. I had no idea”

“Do you think Dumbledore did?”

“I don’t know, Draco. It’s possible. Albus, for all his good points, had a funny sort of loyalty. He was a master manipulator, and although I can’t bear to think he’d be that cruel…”

“I think he was exactly that cruel, Severus. After all, didn’t Dumbledore’s master plan require Harry to sacrifice his life?” Severus nodded. “Would it have made a difference, Severus? If you’d known what his home life was like? Would you have treated Harry differently?”

Severus sighed. “I don’t know, Draco. I wish that I could say that I would have, but as I look back on my past behaviour, I see that I may have been a little harsh with the boy” 

“Well, that’s honest, at least. Will it change anything about how you treat him now?”

“Has he complained about my treatment of him?” Severus felt himself becoming indignant. How dare the ungrateful bastard go tattling to Draco?

“Not at all. He’s been saying that things are good. But you still see him as a foolish child, don’t you?”

“He is” Severus grumbled.

“No, Severus, he’s not.” Draco sighed. “And if you can’t see that, well, this isn’t going to work out. Perhaps I should relieve you of your debt early.”

Later, Severus would tell himself that it were visions of a lovely scrying bowl that stabbed his chest with alarm at the notion of leaving the cottage. But regardless of the reason, Severus found himself saying “The arrangement is acceptable as it is, Draco. And I will endeavour to look at Potter differently”

“Harry”

“Yes”

“No, I mean you can start by calling him Harry”

“Why should I? He calls me ‘sir’”

“Because he’s turning himself inside-fucking-out to try to please you. He feels so immeasurably guilty that you’re stuck here that he’d call you Salizar Slytherin himself if he thought it might make it better for you. He’s trying so hard, Severus. You could try too”

“Very well.”

Unexpectedly, Draco grinned. “Why don’t you practice?”

“Practice what?”

“Calling him Harry. I want to hear you say it.”

“You’re a child.”

“Say it.”

Severus sighed “Harry”. The taste of Potter’s name on his lips furthered his sense of disquiet, but he remembered the scrying bowl, and emphatically did not remember the stripe of stomach he glimpsed underneath Potter’s…Harry’s t-shirt.

“Is he alright? Does he need a calming draught?” 

Draco glared at him. “What use do you think a fucking potion will do him?” Severus raised his hands in apology. He’d forgotten. “He’s mostly alright. I’ve put him to bed. His Muggle healer gave me some tablets for him for when he has a bad day. They seem to mostly make him sleepy.”

“And the boy?”

“I can take Ted back with me, I suppose”

“Don’t bother.” Severus said. “I was head of house for dozens of children at a time. I believe I can ensure I get one nine year old to bed."

Draco’s smile was approving. “Thanks Severus. And remember, call him Harry, try to see him differently.”

Before he left, Draco stopped by the offending cupboard, and firmly, with focused intent, sealed it so tightly shut that it would likely never open again. With a foul look in the cupboard's direction, he waved at Severus and disappeared through the Floo.

Despite his earlier confidence, Severus was a little unsure as he led Theodore into the kitchen. “What would you like to eat for dinner?”

“Pasta?”

“How about a cheese sandwich?”

The boy shrugged, and accepted the sandwich. As they’re eating, he looked up brightly. “Do you want to see something cool?”

Severus wasn’t certain if his idea of cool would exactly line up with a child’s, but he nodded anyway, just to make conversation. Theodore concentrated for a moment, and blinked, hard. His hair was instantly cerulean blue. The grin he leveled at Severus was self-congratulatory, but charming.

“That is cool” Severus agreed. “Have you been able to do this long?”

Teddy nodded. “Couple of years now. Only” he paused thoughtfully for a moment. “I don’t do it in front of Uncle Harry. It seems like showing off, you know?”

“Perhaps.” Severus said. “Does Uncle Harry seem sad that he’s not able to do magic?”

Theodore considered this. “Not really.”

“And is he generally proud of all of the things that you do?” The child nodded brightly. “Then I would say that he’d be delighted to see that you take after your mother.”

“Did you know my mum?”

“I did, and your Father. I was in school with your father and I taught your Mother.”

“Did you know that he was a…” Teddy broke off and made his hands into claws.

“Yes indeed. I brewed potions that helped your Father during the full moon.”

“Uncle Harry says that his friends called him Mooney. Did you call my dad Mooney?”

“No. We were in different houses.” Severus thought for a moment about something he could tell this child about his Father. “Your Father was incredibly smart, you know. Best in our year, almost. Only Harry’s Mother was better”

“It’s weird that we ended up together, Uncle Harry and I. You know, he’s an orphan like me. He says that family is what you make it, not where you’re born”

“I think that’s true.” Severus agreed. “You have many people who love you and take care of you”

The child smiled at him shyly. “I’m glad that you’re in our family now, Master Snape”

Severus took a long drink from his teacup to hide the blush that appeared on his cheeks. 


	6. A Mishap at the Burrow

The next morning, Harry was up when Severus made his way downstairs. Unlike most mornings, he was sitting blearily at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him. “I’m afraid that it’s just toast and cereal for breakfast this morning” he apologized. “Draco snuck one of my tablets into me, and it makes it hard to wake up the next day. I’ll make up for it tomorrow”

“Toast is fine.” Severus said, making his way to the toaster. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Harry managed a feeble smile. “Not great” he admitted. “It sometimes takes me a day or so to regain my equilibrium after having a setback.” He sat looking down at his coffee for a moment, then something occurred to him. “Sir? I’m just realizing that nobody else is here.”

Severus regarded him. Surely there was a point to this, or he would need to speak to Draco about Pott-Harry’s mental state.

“It’s just…I don’t know when Draco left last night. Did he feed Teddy and put him to bed? I saw that Ted’s asleep and in pyjamas, so he obviously stayed here”

“I fed Theodore dinner and put him to bed.” Severus said evenly.

Harry’s forehead crinkled. “Thank you, sir. I’m so sorry to be such a bother to you. This wasn’t part of the agreement and-“

“Harry” Severus fought to keep his voice gentle. “It’s fine. It was no great hardship.”

“I appreciate it, sir. More than I can say.”

To Severus’ surprise, Theodore was well-behaved in the lab. He listened avidly, and delighted in performing the small tasks that Severus once set Draco to. With a small knife, spelled not to cut him, the boy painstakingly chopped stalks of Gurdyroot. Severus noted with some amusement that his chopping skills were already on-par with his Godfather. Once he’d completed the commissions for the day, Severus taught Theodore a simple potion that released rainbow coloured bubbles into the air. The child was delighted, and, as Severus dismissed him, he ran up to tell his Uncle Harry what he’d done.

The next day, at breakfast, (which Severus had taken to eating in the kitchen, it being far too much effort to carry the tea things and plates into the Library), Teddy asked if he could return to the lab to help.

“Maybe another day, Ted” Harry said gently. “We’re to go to the Burrow today for lunch with everyone.”

“I don’t want to go to the Burrow” Teddy said mutinously. “I’d rather brew potions”

Severus knew that he could intervene, tell the child that he was too busy today, but he was curious to see how Harry handled tantrums.

“I know” Harry said understandingly. Perhaps if you’re very good, Master Snape will allow you to help him another time, but remember, he’s very busy. And for today, you are busy too.”

“I won’t go,” Teddy began, his face becoming red.

“Ted?” Harry crouched down in front of the child, so that his face was level with the boy’s. “I know you’re disappointed. But this one isn’t a choice, okay?”

It was not okay, Severus could see, but with a huffy breath, Teddy finally said, “I hate when it isn’t a choice”

“I know” Harry looked up at Severus. “No pressure, but you’re welcome to join us, if you’d like?”

“I have a great deal of work to do.”

“Oh Master Snape, please? Please come with us?” 

Theodore’s eyes were very like his father’s, Severus noticed. When they were fixed on his, pleading and filled with hero-worship, Severus found himself unable to keep from saying. “Mister Lupin. I’ll agree to join you for lunch today if you show your Godfather your…achievement”

Teddy knew what he meant. His desire, strange that it was, to have Severus join them overrode his hesitation, and in front of Harry’s bemused gaze, Theodore screwed up his face and his hair was as blue as it had been a few days earlier.

Harry’s face lit up. Severus had heard the term before, but prior to this, had never seen how a perfectly normal face, could, when filled with happiness and wonder, glow. “Teddy,” Harry breathed. “Teddy, you did it! Just like your mum! You’re magnificent!” He pounced on the child and flung him into the air, spinning him around and squeezing him tightly. Severus was surprised at how strong Harry was; the child was nearly as tall as he was.

“You don’t mind?” Teddy asked.

“Mind? Oh you wonderful kid, of course not. I’m so proud of you. I am so thrilled. This is the best day of my life” Harry’s eyes swam with tears.

“Uncle Harry, do you mean that?”

“What? That’s it’s the best day of my life? You’re darned right I mean it. This is the best thing that’s happened yet!”

Severus watched the exchange, his chest tight. Harry wasn’t just saying that, Severus realized. Of all of the things Harry had accomplished in his life, Teddy’s simple triumph gave Harry greater joy than anything else. He was full of pride, and his own lack of magic in no way reduced his delight in Teddy’s. As he watched Teddy and Harry chatter excitedly, Harry wanting to know exactly how Teddy did it, was it difficult, did blue hair feel any different, Severus felt the slightest pinprick of guilt. If Harry’s Muggle relatives had been as truly awful as they seemed, had anyone ever delighted in Harry’s accomplishments? Possibly Harry’s own Godfather, the insufferable prat. Black was useless of course, an overgrown child, but he did seem to delight in Harry. Whether his delight had been at having a replica of James to pal around with, or was for Harry’s own sake remained to be seen. At any rate, Harry had just two scant years with Black before the dog found himself on the wrong side of Bella’s wand. 

With a sick feeling of recognition, Severus remembered Albus’ words about Harry’s capacity to love. It was remarkable, how, despite the adversity dealt him, Harry continued to love those around him fiercely. Perhaps, Severus allowed grudgingly, he could see why Draco had some misguided fondness for the boy.

Any budding fondness that had sprouted for the young man dissipated quickly as they arrived at the Weasleys. Harry was all smiles as he made his rounds, hugging each redhead in turn. The children were thrilled to see him, and, like a diminutive pied piper, he made his escape to the garden with a half dozen screaming voices trailing after. Severus stood awkwardly, feeling out of place. “We won’t see him until it’s time to eat.” a voice beside Severus said, and he turned to see Arthur Weasley smiling at him. “Hullo, Severus. It’s good to see you here.”

“Thank you for having me” Severus had always rather liked Arthur. He lacked the hectoring tones of his spouse, and had always seemed rather reasonable, in an affable sort of way.

“We all so appreciate what you’re doing for Teddy and Harry.” Arthur continued, gesturing Severus towards a comfortable chair under a leaf-laden tree. Severus nodded at him. “I’ll admit though,” he continued “to being a little surprised. It seemed an uncharacteristically generous thing for anyone to do, and you and Harry have such a history together. It must be awfully disruptive. What made you decide to help Harry?”

Severus considered the possible answers: Life debt, scrying bowl, the fact that he can’t seem to help himself when it comes to bailing the dark-haired menace out of his latest calamity. Finally he shrugged and said “Draco can be surprisingly persuasive.”

Arthur laughed. “He was considering going back, did you know? To the Muggle world?”

“Not his Dursleys?” Severus asked, in spite of himself.

“No, I rather think not. He’s awfully independent. I imagine he would just disappear into London and we’d not hear from him again. I still worry about it”

“He looks happy enough” The man in question was underneath a pile of screaming, laughing children, who seemed intent on pummelling him into submission. With a great roar, he barrelled to his feet, little bodies flying everywhere, and stomped about, sending children running, screaming in mock terror.

“Mm” Arthur said. It was not an agreement, but not an outward disagreement either. “Molly and I’ve considered Harry our son ever since the end of his first year in Hogwarts. He’s always been a good boy, too good. Do you know how many times he’s asked us for anything?”

Severus frowned at him. It was a strange question. The Weasleys were a hands-on family, sharing everything, including favours with one another. They were always in and out of each others’ houses, and Severus knew that the now-adult children relied on Molly and Arthur for meals, and babysitting, and a myriad of other little things.

“Twice. Twice in his life. Other than twice, he’s never asked for a second helping of food, or a piece of parchment, or to borrow a screwdriver”

Severus didn’t know where this conversation was leading, but he acknowledged that it was a bit odd that Harry hadn’t felt easy amongst such a welcoming family.

“The first time was after the Ministry…well, after Sirius.” Arthur’s kind, basset-hound eyes regarded him mildly. “It was the last day of term, and, with everything going on, Molly and I had flooed to Hogwarts to gather the children. It was one of those times when you wanted to gather your loved ones close. Harry took me aside. He was shaking like a leaf. I’ve never seen anyone more nervous. He wondered if Molly and I would take him in for the summer. He knew about the blood wards, knew that he had to go home to his Muggles, but I’ll never forget the way his hands trembled as he stammered and said that he would try to stay out of the way, and that he wouldn’t eat much, but could we possibly keep him? Severus, I knew that Dumbledore wouldn’t let him stay with us, knew that it was too dangerous, but it broke my heart. I told him that we’d love to have him, and that we had to ask Dumbledore. The moment I said that, his little pinched face closed up, and he said ‘Never mind, Mr. Weasley. We both know that Dumbledore isn’t going to allow it. Thank you for saying that you wouldn’t have minded. I just needed to hear that you would have taken me, if you could have’” Arthur cleared his throat, his eyes a little misty.

Severus bit his lip, thinking of himself at sixteen, begging Albus not to send him home to his father over summer break. Albus had said all the right things, had offered him an infernal lemon drop, and patted one of Severus’ tightly fisted hands, but Severus had still found himself on board the Hogwarts Express when summer came. “Albus had rather unconventional opinions about the importance of blood family” he mused. Arthur looked at him intently for a moment, but the moment soon passed, and he continued.

“The second time Harry asked me for something was after the war. He’d found out that his magic wasn’t going to be returning, and he was being pushed and pulled every which way by the Ministry, and his awful fans, and there were families of Death Eaters spitting on him in the street because he hadn’t testified for their loved ones like had had for Draco and Narcissa. It was late one night. Molly had gone up to bed. It was just us, Ginny had already left to join the team, and I was so surprised to hear a knock at the door. As you know, this place isn’t all that easy to get to, if you don’t apparate or floo, but despite all of that, there was Harry on the doorstep. He looked like a child, lonelier and more frightened than I’d ever seen him. He asked if he could come in, apologized for bothering me. As though he had to ask! Of course I bundled him inside by the fire and asked him what was troubling him. It took him forever to get it out. Severus, the child wanted me to Obliviate him, and send him away. I asked him what was the worst part, what troubled him the most. He said he couldn’t bear that he’d let people down. Remus, and Tonks, and F-Fred. I looked at that tragic, broken boy, and I turned him down again. When I did so, he gave me this look. Severus, it contained a galaxy of hurt and regret and disappointment. I did the only thing I could, what a father would do…I held that hurting boy in my arms and cried because I couldn’t fix things for him.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Severus asked, gently. It was deeply personal, and he suspected that Harry wouldn’t thank Arthur for revealing his innermost torments.

“I’m not sure, exactly. I suppose I want you to understand how difficult it is for Harry to ask for anything. If I’m being truly honest, it’s because I think that you can maybe give him something that he doesn’t have to ask for.”

“What might that be?”

“Ah, if only I knew, Severus. Forgive me, I’ve become mawkish in the years since the war. I’m pretty sure that everyone else has likely privately approached you and warned you that if you hurt Harry in any way that they would bedevil you in all sorts of clever ways. Ginny alone is awfully gifted with creativity when it comes to hexing those she’s mad at. I’m not worried that you’ll hurt Harry, Severus. I think you have a capacity for endless kindness, if you’d allow yourself. Perhaps I just wanted you to know more than the boy who once acted so impetuously.”

They sat companionably for a while. The light was lengthening, and as the leaves moved above them, their shadows danced around the two men. Severus idly picked some grass, smelled it. After a time, the conversation moved on to the Ministry, and whether Kingsley had any chance of affecting true change as Minister of Magic. Before long, one of his younger granddaughters, chasing the crowd of children, tripped and fell, banging her knee. She came bawling to her Granddad, who, with a wave of his wand, healed the scrape and scooped her up into his lap. “You haven’t done it properly.” she pouted, a hint of a French accent making her words melodic.

“Haven’t I? How silly your Granddad is!” Arthur said. He placed a kiss on the injured knee, and whispered something into her ear. “Better?”

“Much. Ta Granddad.” she slipped off his knee and ran off to join her cousins.

“You seem deep in thought, Severus” Arthur remarked.

“I was just thinking that, if there was ever any doubt that Voldemort had lost his war completely, one just needs to look around here. You have a beautiful life, Arthur”

“It hasn’t been without its cost, but yes, we’re very lucky.” Just then, Molly emerged from the house, her face deeply red and not a little harassed. She was flanked by two of her daughters-in-law who looked equally rumpled. In no uncertain tones, Molly barked out orders to the men in the garden, directing that tents, and tables and chairs be conjured. With an ear-splitting whistle, she beaconed the boys down from the air, where an impromptu Quidditch game had been going on for most of the afternoon. Arthur viewed his cranky bride with unfettered delight. “Very lucky” he whispered, laying an affectionate pat on Severus’ knee before jumping to his feet and beginning to wrangle his troupe of children and grandchildren.

As evening approached, and Harry, sated from an immense dinner, lay languidly under the same tree that Severus and Arthur had sought shelter from the sun. Hermione lay on his one side, and Ron on the other. Severus watched them from a distance. From time to time, one of them would laugh. At one point, Hermione lazily slapped at Harry’s knee. “Would you have ever thought we’d be standing here, watching them with something approaching fondness?” Draco had sidled up beside him without Severus noticing.

“Indeed, it does feel rather surreal.”

“You see it now, though, don’t you?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”

“You understand why everyone loves Harry.”

“He is not intolerable.”

Just then, an almighty caterwauling ensued, coming from the vicinity of the pond. Before long, Bill came into view, a sobbing Victoire in his arms, and a furious, spitting Teddy levitating in front of him. Harry had leapt to his feet and was on them in a moment. 

“What happened?”

“Just a little spat. Teddy’s accidental magic is starting to show itself a bit more frequently, isn’t it?”

“Theodore Lupin, what did you do?” Harry’s voice was stern.

“Nothing. She started it.” Bill had released the charm on him, and Teddy's face was flushed with temper and embarrassment. His eyes were downcast, unable to face his Godfather.

“Teddy” Severus heard a warning in Harry’s voice.

“It doesn’t matter. She deserved it”

“Deserved what?” Harry demanded

“A stinging hex. No worries, Harry, it’s easily healed." Bill said easily. "But Ted, you’ve got to work on your temper a little, okay?”

“Whatever” Teddy was sullen, making his way for the copse of trees.

“Teddy, stop! Come back here and apologize”

“I won’t! You can’t make me anyways” Teddy ran off. 

Harry looked stricken. Hermione hastened to his side. “He’s right, you know” Harry said quietly. “As his magic grows, I’m not going to be able to control him”

“That’s why children are taught to manage their magic, Harry. Think about Muggleborn children. My parents didn’t have magic, and let me assure you, they had no problems getting me to behave.”

“Of course they did.” Harry couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re you, Hermione. I imagine you were getting them to behave.”

“Right, but I also learned how to control my magic, and Teddy will too. Don’t worry, Harry.”

“I should go talk to him.”

“Allow me.” Severus said, and before Harry could protest, Severus was striding towards the trees.

Teddy was hunched miserably against a trunk of a friendly looking maple, his face thunderous and defensive. Severus sat beside him. “What happened?” he asked quietly.

“It’s stupid. Victoire is stupid, and I hate her. I wish I wasn’t in this stupid family”

Severus didn’t reply. Dozens of years with children not much older than this one had taught him to bide his time.

“Anyway, it wasn’t my stupid fault. It was her!”

Again, Severus waited. He had the patience to allow the child to dig his own grave.

“Uncle Harry says that being loyal to family is the most important thing.”

“Mmm” Severus agreed.

“But Victoire wasn’t being loyal at all. She said that Uncle Harry isn’t even a Wizard any more.” The small face was mutinous, but Severus could see that he was hurt and uncertain.

“Do you think that she’s correct?”

“No!” A pause. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s think about this logically. If you were a Chaser, but you broke your broom, would you cease to be a Quidditch Player?”

“No, but I could get another broom.”

“Indeed, but is a broom the thing that makes you a Chaser? Or is it simply a tool you use to play the game?”

“A tool, I suppose. Uncle Ron said that Harry was a Seeker, and even when he played with a school broom, he was the fastest flyer there was. So it wasn’t the broom that made Uncle Harry a Quidditch Player, he was one all the time”

“Well then?”

“I suppose he’s still a wizard, even if his tool doesn’t work anymore.”

Severus quashed his inner 14 year old, who sniggered at the reference to Harry’s tool. “And on the other hand, if our reasoning had led us to the conclusion that Harry were no longer a Wizard, what would that change?”

“It’s a mean thing to say! She’s calling him a Muggle!”

“What’s wrong with being a Muggle?”

“Nothing, it’s just better to be a Wizard.” Severus spared a moment to consider the irony that a former Death Eater were schooling the child of a Werewolf on blood politics and modern Wizarding ethics. 

“Despite that, if Harry were a Muggle, but he were still your Godfather, who loved you and took care of you, would you think less of him?”

“No”

“So why are you letting Miss Weasley’s words affect you? You know how you feel about Harry. Her opinion changes nothing. You must learn to control your temper, Mr Lupin.”

“I know. I have to apologize to Victoire, don’t I?”

“Just so”

Harry didn’t look at all pleased when Severus and Teddy rejoined the rest. As he opened up his mouth to speak, Teddy ran into his arms. “I’m sorry, Uncle Harry. I’m sorry Victoire” he called over to his cousin, who, healed, and sitting comfortably in her father’s lap, was no worse for wear. 

“Teddy, you could have hurt Victoire” Harry said quietly. “I know you didn’t mean it, but you need to be more careful, okay?”

“I’ll try, Uncle Harry.”

“Thanks. I love you kiddo. Now, it’s time we were going home”

They said their goodbyes, and, as Severus accompanied Harry through the floo, he whispered quietly, “Thank you Severus." The feeling of a little squeeze on Severus' arm lingered long after Harry had stepped away and busied himself with getting his Godson ready for bed.


	7. A Boy in a Cupboard

He had to admit, the boy was clever. Severus had been tutoring Theodore in potions for several weeks now, and the boy’s curiosity and obvious joy for learning had earned Snape’s grudging respect. The child was methodical, and diligent, and drew conclusions from the carefully crafted lessons that many first years wouldn’t manage. Having known his parents, Severus wasn’t surprised that the boy was bright, but his lingering distaste for the Mauraders made it difficult to admit the blatantly obvious. _Sort of like with Harry_, a treacherous voice in his mind supplied, and Severus firmly told the mind-voice to shut the fuck up.

The budding confidence that Teddy had gained as he learned more had an unexpected side effect. Their conversation under the tree had not put to rest Teddy’s lingering doubts about Harry, and whether his lack of magic made him less of a Wizard. Severus privately thought that having defeated Voldemort rather made up for any latent magical loss, but Harry was prickly about talking about his own actions during the war, so Teddy remained ignorant of exactly how much of a Wizard Harry Potter was. As he pondered this, Severus cursed this newly developed tendency to defend Harry to his Godson. Not only was this none of his business, but also, he didn’t like thinking too much about Harry. Potter, not Harry. He might agree to refer to the brat as ‘Harry’ in speech, but that didn’t mean that, in the privacy of his own mind, he was obligated to call him anything. _Even if you want to_, he argued with himself. _Belt up_, he ordered the irritating, argumentative voice that delighted in contradicting him. _Won’t_, the voice replied smugly. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you looking at his arse. Severus growled under his breath and parried one final remark to the infernal nuisance voice: _Fuck off_. 

Teddy’s doubts about his guardian had manifested in two, equally annoying behaviours. He’d begun to hero-worship Snape, making a point of parading around after the Potions Master, and spending a great deal of time telling Potter what Snape had said about one subject or another. More irritatingly, he’d also begun defying Harry in small but pointed ways. The child would delay in putting away his books before dinner, casting a rebellious little glance at his Godfather to see what his reaction would be. Or, when Harry would express an opinion, Teddy would take the exact opposite side, doing his best to enlist Snape’s support of his position. Harry had thus far ignored the behavior. When Severus had spoken privately to him, he’d said “I expect it will work out. Arthur told me that Bill went through a similar challenging phase, and he’d ridden it out” Be that as it may, Severus was well aware that Molly had very likely not ridden the disrespectful behaviour out, and Severus found himself struggling not to intervene. It was driving him spare. 

This evening, Teddy had sarkily informed Harry that he hated peas, and that Harry knew that, and it was moronic that he would suggest that he ingest them. Severus bristled on Harry’s behalf, even as his infernal mind-voice suggested that he himself had been equally dismissive of Harry’s cooking when he’d tried to feed Severus porridge. As if that were the same thing…porridge was disgusting. Then, as Harry cheerfully made a stir fry, he asked Teddy if he wouldn’t mind setting the table. The child exploded. “Harry, I told you” he sniped. “I’m reading something!” 

“I think it will still be there after dinner” Harry replied mildly. 

Teddy roared. “Leave me alone, you…” his face worked as he attempted to think of a suitable insult. “arsehole!”

“Hey!” Harry protested, as Severus rose from his seat by the fire. Picking up the child by the scruff of the neck, he half dragged, half levitated the child up to his room. 

“You’ll think about your disrespect to your godfather in your room. Each time your stomach growls, you’ll consider your behaviour, and whether such a boorish display was worth missing dinner over” Severus closed and warded the door, returning downstairs and sitting at the table. 

What he wasn’t prepared for was a Harry who was vibrating with fury. “Professor, how dare you?” he asked, his voice trembling as much as his skinny frame. “You presume too much” 

“Potter, if you’re not prepared to discipline your ward, then I won’t sit by and neglect the duty myself” he answered calmly. “You’re letting that child walk all over you, and I won’t see such a promising mind spoiled” 

“Professor, with all due respect” Harry ground out, his tone implying that the respect due didn’t amount to much, “Teddy’s my responsibility. I don’t know why you think you know what you’re talking about” 

“And shall we sit around and hope that another Dark Wizard comes along to scare some sense into young Mister Lupin?” Severus asked in cool tones. 

“Whatever do you mean?” 

“Draco. Malfoy. That boy was just as spoiled and indulged as Mister Lupin is. Admittedly, he’d never have gotten away with speaking to Lucius as Teddy does to you. You’re indulging Theodore in different ways from Draco, although just as severely. Surely you’re the first person to admit that Draco was a spoiled little shit in his Hogwarts days. It took the tyranny of the Dark Lord to teach Draco what his parents didn’t bother to do” 

“This isn’t the same thing!” Harry protested weakly. 

“It is exactly the same thing” 

“Even if you were right, and I indulge Teddy too much, the punishment you gave him is…” Harry broke off and turned away. 

“You object?” 

“You’re damned right I object!” 

“Why?” Severus’ strove to make his voice sound curious, not judgemental. 

“I don’t want to talk about it” 

“Humour me” 

“Please don’t make me” For a moment, Harry looked so young. His eyes were enormous, and Severus was pretty sure he didn’t realize that his lower lip was trembling. His hands knotted in one another, and Severus could see that maintaining eye contact with his former professor was costing Harry. 

“Did your aunt and uncle withhold food?” Harry’s eyes widened, and he staggered backwards. 

“Don’t!” he cried. Severus suddenly realized that Harry thought he’d cast _Legimens_ on him.< 

“Honestly, Harry, don’t be ridiculous. Your emotions are written all over your face, and it doesn’t take a Legimens to realize that this is more than an esoteric disagreement over punishment methods.” 

“Oh” his voice was small, and his face flushed. “I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion.” 

“Don’t be silly. A handful of years ago, it would have been the correct conclusion. But Harry?” Severus leaned a little closer to the man who had seemed to shrink away. “Look at me for a moment” Slowly, the captivating green eyes met his again. Severus briefly wondered when he’d stopped thinking of them as Lily’s eyes. “I promise you, Harry, I wouldn’t use magic on you. Not when you can’t defend yourself. You can rely on my word” 

A beat of silence elapsed. Severus didn’t realize he was holding his breath. It had been an olive branch, albeit a tiny one, but the gesture of goodwill wasn't easy for Severus. Life had taught him that showing any vulnerability, even a minor act of kindness, allowed people to take advantage. 

To his surprise, Harry gifted him with a smile that was only slightly wobbly on the edges. “Thank you. And yes, to answer your question, my Aunt and Uncle enjoyed depriving me of the necessities of life. Withholding meals for a minor infraction was a favourite punishment of my Aunt’s. I can remember lying in my cupboard, smelling the meals that they’d made me cook, and not being allowed to eat it. Sometimes, after a week or so, when I got too weak to be any good at my chores, they’d give me dog food. Sometimes I’d be desperate enough to eat it.” 

At this, Severus heard himself give a small strangled sound, but before he could say anything, Harry continued “And I realize that this isn’t the same thing, not by a long shot. It just hits a little closer to home than I’d like.” 

He stood and walked to the sink, taking a glass down from one of the upper cupboards and filled it with water. He drank the contents in one long swallow, his back to Severus. Placing two shaking hands on the counter on either side of the sink, Severus barely heard the next words. “You know, the Dursleys didn’t have a dog. And Aunt Marge’s dogs ate people food. So that means that they went out and especially purchased dog food, just to humiliate me.” After a long few minutes, where Harry seemed to be trying very hard to continue breathing smoothly, he turned and returned to the table and sat. 

“I hate talking about that time” he said softly. “It’s embarrassing how much it still affects me. I know you taught me better, Professor. I’ve done my best to avoid wallowing in self-pity, but sometimes, it’s stronger than I am. I apologize that I’ve let you down in this area. I know you hated when I made excuses for my weaknesses” 

Bollocks. Severus was tired, it had been a long day, and he’d wanted nothing more than dinner, a few glasses of brandy, and a book by the fire. But, since the day at the Burrow when he’d spoken to Arthur, he had known that this day was inevitable. Thus, Severus Snape spoke the words that he’d thought he’d never believe, let alone say out loud. 

“I owe you” he paused and cleared his throat. “an apology, Harry. I was harder on you in your school days than I had any right to be. And I misjudged you, then, and possibly now as well.” 

Harry’s mouth opened and shut, his forehead screwing up in confusion. At first, Severus thought that his apology wouldn’t be accepted, and he cursed himself for bothering. Finally though, Harry said “Sir, there’s no apology needed. I owe you my life. You pushed me to live up to my responsibilities, and cured me of a lot of my arrogance. I was too foolish, too immature to see it then, and I didn’t understand what incredible pressure you must have been under. No doubt your role in the war was difficult enough without having to chase a foolhardy little monster around the castle. In fact, I’ve never had the opportunity to thank you.” 

“Your testimony, which kept me out of Azkaban, was thanks enough, Harry. Besides that, however, I feel rather terrible that I didn’t see how you were being treated at home. It’s inexcusable that the adults who were charged to care for you let you down.” 

“Well, yes, they did, but that wasn’t your fault” Harry looked confused, upset. 

“But Harry, we were also responsible for you. More so, in fact. If Dumbledore had known-“ 

“Oh, he did, sir” 

“Pardon?” Severus stilled. 

“Dumbledore knew what my home life was like. Not in explicit detail, but of course I told him. After the…well, after the Chamber, I begged him to let me stay in the Castle for the summer. I made a proper fool of myself. Nearly started crying. But of course he couldn’t let me. It wouldn’t have been fair to the other kids, and the blood wards…” Harry trailed off, seeming alarmed at the look on Severus’ face. “But you know all this, don’t you? Professor Dumbledore must have told you?” 

“I knew nothing. It didn’t cross my mind until Draco mentioned that you’d had a somewhat…troubled upbringing.” 

“Hmm. I wonder why he didn’t mention it. Ah well, if you didn’t know, how could you possibly have done something?” To Harry it seemed simple. It caused a stab of pain in Severus’ chest. 

“You aren’t angry with him?” 

A tilt of Harry’s head communicated his utter lack of understanding. “Why would I be angry, Professor? What else could he have done?” 

Severus felt his temper rising, both at the Honorific that Harry seemed to insist on using as well as his sheer thickheadedness. “For goodness sake, call me Severus. It’s ridiculous, you insisting on calling me Professor.” 

“Oh, alright…you never said to, before” 

“Well, I’m saying it now. As for why you’re not angry with Albus, don’t you realize how he treated you?” 

Harry smiled then “Severus, you really don’t have much faith in my intelligence, do you? Why don’t you say what you’re really asking? Did I realize that Dumbledore used me as a pawn, used the behaviour of my relatives as a lever to manipulate me? Did I know that he allowed me to bumble into all sorts of misadventures as a training ground to prepare me for the inevitable? Or do you really mean, did I realize that he used my capacity to love as a weapon?” 

Severus felt his eyes widen. Harry sounded unemotional about the notion. 

“Merlin, of course I know that. I didn’t perhaps, at the time. And there were times along the way that I couldn’t understand why he kept critical pieces of information from me until it was almost too late. I know that I was a pawn, a soldier.” Harry’s smile grew fonder. “But, I know that Albus loved me, as much as he was able to. Besides, what would you have him do? Would it have been better to let Voldemort win? You, of all people, know that he didn’t have a choice” 

“The cost was too great” Severus finally said. 

Harry shrugged. “I shudder to consider the cost if we’d done nothing.” He sat at the table for a few minutes more, idly playing with the salt and pepper shakers, his thoughts distant. “Severus, I find that I don’t really fancy eating dinner tonight. Would you mind terribly if I left you on your own?” 

“Of course not” As Harry stood to leave, Severus said “One moment, Harry, if you please” Wandlessly, he summoned a plate and levitated a helping of the stir fry onto it. Placing a fork onto the plate, he handed it to him. “Take this to Teddy” 

With soft eyes, Harry’s lips ghosted into a smile. “Thanks” 

Severus sat quietly at the table into the night, thinking. 


	8. An Owl Without a Purpose

Harry was washing dishes one morning when an almighty clatter occurred outside. Startled, he dropped the pan he was scrubbing, causing water to splash all over his front and down the cabinets, into his slippers. Ignoring the mess for a moment, he went outside to investigate.

Severus, who had also been roused by the noise, came into the kitchen to investigate to find Harry racing through the kitchen. He seized a towel from the hook and disappeared back out the door. Bemused, Severus could hear him muttering “Stop it, you arse, I’m trying to help you. Ow! Fuck, that hurt.” Presently, he reappeared through the door. His towel appeared to have become animated while he was outside. It was thrashing, and emitting an ungodly screeching noise. Harry was struggling to control the errant towel, and when a talon emerged from the towel and clamped onto his arm, Harry’s screeches joined the towel’s. “A little help?” he asked, breathlessly.

Severus calmly pointed his wand at the towel, and cast an _immobulus_. The towel immediately went limp, and Harry sank to the floor with it. Gently unwrapping it, Harry stroked the tawny feathers of a little pigmy owl. “Oh, poor thing. It’s been attacked.” The owl, now unable to move, was calming, or at least too weak to protest. Its breath was coming fast and Severus could see blood welling up amongst its feathers.

“Let me,” he said, stepping closer and examining the owl. Its wing was shattered, and a quick spell told him everything that he needed to know. “There’s no mending this wing,” he said. He rose and went to the sink to wash the blood from his hands.

“Aww,” Harry cooed, untying the scroll from its leg and examining it. “Oh, it’s one of Draco’s. Can you help me get it back to him? Send me through the floo or something? I don’t know if it would like a ride in my van.”

“Harry, you don’t understand. Its wing can’t be fixed. It won’t fly again.”

“Yes, so?” 

“Well, we need to put it out of its misery. Draco would do the same.”

“Wait, you want to kill it?” Harry was clutching the bird tighter now, his face twisted.

“What would you have me do, sing it a lullaby first?”

“Severus, we have to save it!”

“Stand aside.”

“I won’t!” Harry’s face looked reminiscent of the sullen, defiant boy who’d looked up at him from the floor after the disastrous Occlumency lessons. It incensed Severus. He levelled his wand. 

“_Simplice Morto_” he intoned, and a rose coloured light filled the kitchen. At the same moment, with a furious cry, Harry twisted his body, shielding the owl and landing directly in the path of the spell. “Harry!” Severus shouted. The bird squawked, no doubt startled by being tackled by a full grown man, and Harry slumped overtop of it.

“Merlin, you foolish boy” Severus muttered. The spell, ‘_a simple death_’ was a painless form of euthanasia. He’d just killed Harry Potter. 

Teddy came running around the corner. “What’s going on?” he asked. Severus paled, realizing that he was going to have to tell this boy that he were an orphan again. He placed a palm on his face, feeling sick at what he’d done.

“Severus just attacked this sick bird!” Harry sputtered indignantly, rising and picking up the bird, shooting a venomous look at his would-be murderer.

“What” said Severus “the fuck” before he slumped to the ground, overcome.

He awoke to find a cool cloth on his forehead and Harry watching him with an odd expression on his face. “I’m glad you’re okay, but don’t think for a second that I’m not absolutely livid with you. What was that spell?”

“It was a euthanasia spell,” Severus said weakly. “Are you truly immortal?”

“What? You cast a killing spell in my kitchen without warning me?”

“I didn’t want to discuss this sodding bird endlessly with you. I never dreamed that you’d leap in its path. What on earth were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that you had a bad look in your eyes, and I was worried about what you were doing.” Harry said crossly. “And it’s a good thing you fucked up that spell!”

“Language” Severus tutted prissily.

“Fuck my language!" Harry roared. "This bird is under my protection! Don’t touch a feather on its body. I should beat the feathers out of you!”

“Also, I didn’t fuck up the spell,” Severus said, looking at his wand. “That’s curious.”

“You’re missing the point! How dare you try to kill this bird!”

“It’s barely alive, and it won’t fly again. I was trying to put it out of its misery!” Severus had finally reached the end of his patience, and so he shouted back at Harry, who was still holding the owl in one hand, about an inch away from the end of Severus’ nose. 

Harry didn’t flinch. “You horrible, insensitive git.” Something unreadable passed over Harry’s face as he continued, “Obviously an owl who can’t fly is worthless. By all means, let’s kill it, and save the world from having to exist near something that’s obviously using up the oxygen for all the useful owls in the world.” Still angry, but also with an underpinning emotion Severus couldn't place, Harry gathered up the towel, and the owl, whose _immobulous_ was starting to wear off, and stormed from the room. His final parting shot: “You bastard.” seemed to echo around the kitchen.

Severus, who was more occupied by the fact that his magic wasn’t responding to his commands, was busily casting increasingly powerful lumos charms. They all behaved perfectly. Alarmed, he levitated several plates and glasses and sent them on a dizzying tango around the kitchen table.

“Well that was insensitive” Teddy said, who had watched the exchange between the two adults, rather like a tennis match, his head swinging back and forth as they shouted at one another.

“He’s upset.”

“Of course he’s upset, Master Snape. Merlin, you know how to go for the jugular” Teddy’s forehead was crinkled, and he seemed sad.

“Why is everyone so bothered about this blasted owl? I imagine Draco has at least a dozen others”

“Sir, you’re not understanding.”

“Enlighten me then, Mister Lupin.”

“Sir, I know I’m just a kid, and you're way smarter than me, but don’t you see any similarities between the owl and Harry?”

“What do you mean?” Severus asked, stalling for time, as a bead of sweat formed on the small of his back and made its ticklish way down the crack of his arse. Faulty magic aside, he was beginning to come to the conclusion that he’d just fucked up.

“So, we have an owl that can't do what it was raised to do: fly messages. Can you imagine why a Wizard who lost his magic might be a little offended that the only solution you can see is to kill it?”

Finally convinced that, yes, he had fucked up, and rather spectacularly at that, Severus groaned. “Of course I wasn’t drawing a parallel to Harry’s situation.”

“But you can see why he’d think so, right?”

Severus placed a chilled hand over his mouth. “Fuck.” 

“I’ll say.” Teddy raised a gleeful eyebrow at the undignified language, but then looked kindly at the Potions Master. “How are you going to fix it?”

“I have no earthly idea,” Severus confessed.

“Maybe this is a good time to start researching owl potions?” Teddy suggested, loping out of the room after Harry.

The bird was still alive. Harry hadn’t emerged downstairs at all, and Teddy had come once, grabbed a roll of kitchen towel, a large basin and the Dettol, before racing away again. “Calm down!” Severus heard Harry holler at one point, followed by the sound of protracted scrabbling on the floor above. A few times, Severus hovered uneasily at the bottom of the stairs, but, fairly certain of his welcome, he did not climb them. As lunchtime neared, and there was still no sign of either of them, Severus gloomily made himself some toast and retreated to his laboratory. Feeling at loose ends, he finally did as Teddy suggested, and researched potions that were beneficial to wounded owls. Brewing a few strengthening potions, and throwing an animal-safe calming draught for good measure, Severus sighed and pondered what to do next.

He’d hurt Harry’s feelings, that much was obvious. Severus hadn’t been prepared for the realization to produce such deep regret. He seemed doomed to ostracize beautiful, green-eyed Evans progeny, for all eternity. Like the mistake he’d made with Lily, Severus feared that this would be equally unrecoverable.

When he heard the door to his lab swing open, Severus looked up, hopeful that Harry had come to discuss the matter with him. But when the hair covering the head coming down the stairs turned out to be blond, not black, his spirits sank a little. Of course Draco would come to give him a bloody great bolloxing. It wasn’t enough for Severus to have realized his error, and been left to lick his wounds privately. 

“Hello Uncle Sev,” Draco greeted, agreeably enough. “What are you making?”

“Owl potions,” Severus replied shortly.

“So you’ve realized what an immense prat you were?” he asked.

Severus sighed heavily. He sunk to one of the stools near the counter, and placed his head in his hands. “Draco, it never occurred to me that Harry would draw similarities between the two situations. Of course I realize it in hindsight, but at the time, I was simply thinking of the practicalities of the situation. I saw that Harry was distressed, and I was trying to alleviate his discomfort. I made a mistake. What can I do?”

“Well, telling Harry that is a good start. I’d give him some time to cool off, though.”

“How’s the owl?”

“She’s fine. Well, not fine, obviously. You’re right, she’s never going to fly again, but she’s hopping around Harry’s room happily enough.” Draco laughed. “Harry’s enchanted with her, of course, and a few little healing spells have her good as new.” He snorted, "Well, nearly."

“And Harry?”

“Right now? He’s got his ‘_saving people_’ hat on again. Or in this case, ‘_saving owl_’ hat. He’s absolutely furious on the owl’s behalf.” Draco’s smile faded. “Which, in this case, means that he’s questioning everything about his own role in our world. You fucked up, Severus”

“I know. I’ll fix it”

“I believe in you”


	9. A Four-step Plan

The next morning, as Severus came downstairs, a lively conversation was taking place in the kitchen.

“We have to name her”

“I assume she already had a name. I’ll have to ask Draco. Lookit her annoyed little expression! She looks like she’s mad at the world for not recognizing how great she is!” Harry laughed. “She’s like the owl version of Lucius”

Severus enters the kitchen, and found, to his disgust, that the owl was hopping around on the countertop, with Harry and Teddy draped on either side, watching her adoringly. He tamped down his desire to instruct them to get the filthy bird off of a surface that they prepare food on, and simply said, “Morning”

“Morning.” Severus had never known Harry to be cold. He’d known him for over fifteen years, watched him grow up and suffer trials and tribulations that, frankly, defied reason, and he’d never heard him use this voice. It was a voice that lacked all emotion, as though Harry didn’t care whether he existed. Harry always cared, even if that caring manifested itself in furious anger. This was bad.

“Harry?” Severus hated the tone of his voice, then. It was tentative, and insecure and when the fuck had it started mattering to him how Harry felt?

“Severus, listen. I understand that we’re going to be living together for another six months, and so at some point, we’re going to have to discuss what happened. I just don’t want to. Not today, probably not tomorrow. Give me some space, please.” It wasn't a request, but a clear dismissal.

“I need to visit the apothecary today. Do you need anything in Diagon?” Severus was desperate to keep the conversation going.

“No. I’ll call Draco to come over so I have _supervision_ while you’re gone” The word ‘supervision’ was sneered.

“Very well” Severus gave up and stalked downstairs in defeat. None of them noticed him go. He left the owl potions on the counter. A gesture. When he returned later that afternoon, he left a bag of owl treats that he got at Eyelops on the counter, and noticed that the potions were gone.

While in exile from the other members of the house, Severus tackled the alarming problem with his magic. There hadn't been a repeat of a failed spell since the 'Day of the Owl'. He transfigured a corner of his lab into an open area, and conjured some dummies. Increasingly confused, he cast spell after spell at them, and they all worked fine. 

Finally, he transfigured a rock into a rat and cast _Simplice Morto_ at it. The rat slumped over immediately. Severus felt an uneasy prickle in his stomach. They had somehow, miraculously, escaped a terrible tragedy. Severus learned that he could simultaneously be endlessly grateful for not accidentally murdering the Chosen One, while also being deeply suspicious of how such a miracle occurred. Severus was a logical person, and this situation, as was often the case when Harry-Fucking-Potter was involved, defied logic. Severus wasn’t having it, not for a minute. Logic would _not_ be defied, not on his watch.

He dove into his library. It was obvious that, somehow, Harry was immune to Severus’ spell. It wasn’t the spell’s fault, it was Harry’s. Obviously. The next step was to cast something on Harry again, and see what happened. (Preferably not a lethal spell this time). There were only two barriers which prevented Severus from running upstairs and cast a stinging hex on the Chosen One’s arse. First, he’d sworn to him that he’d never cast magic on him while Harry were unable to defend himself. Secondly, the man in question was dismissively angry with him, and, if Severus wanted to rectify that situation, this was not a productive approach to doing so. 

Despite his earlier inclinations, Severus had grown to respect the man, and, in his more unguarded moments, could admit that he was…fond of him. It rankled that Severus had now realized that he had warm feelings towards someone who now appeared to loathe him. _Fuck my life_, he thought.

So, Severus decided, a plan. Step One, make Harry stop hating him. Step Two, convince the now back-to-normal Harry to let him cast magic at him. Step Three, figure out why the original spell hadn’t killed him in the first place. Step Four, shag Harry. 

Severus paused. Where had Step Four come from? Feeling completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of paradigm-altering revelations that had arisen in the past few days, he resolved to examine Step Four later.

He realized that one of the first things he needed to do was call in some expert advice. Much as it galled him, he was going to have to go crawling to some Gryffindors. He floo-called the Granger-Weasleys, and was invited to tea that afternoon. As he fussed with the buttons on his semi-formal robes, Severus tried to ignore the dread that was crawling through his stomach.

As he expected, the afternoon began awkwardly, at least on Severus' part. He knocked on the door feeling as though he had Flobberworms in his stomach. Granger bustled him into a sun-filled kitchen, and settled him at the table as she waved her wand at the teapot. “I’m terrible in the kitchen,” she laughed. “It drives Molly to distraction. She’s panicked that I’m not taking good care of her baby. And, I suppose, her grandbabies, but it's Ron that she worries most about. The good part, though, is that she’s always sending food over, so I can offer you biscuits without the fear of poisoning you”

“You were always a very strong potions student.” Severus finally offered. “Cooking is no different from potions.”

“Ah, but what’s the point of cooking well if nobody is giving you marks for it? If Molly came in and graded me each time I tried to make scones, maybe I’d care more about it” As she sat at the table, heaving a huge sigh at getting her pregnant self off its feet, Hermione gave him a small smile. “Ron will be in shortly, he’s just getting Rose and Hugo settled for their naps. Before he does though, I wanted to tell you, we all appreciate what you’ve done for Harry. The children in his life mean everything to him, and it killed us all to keep them apart. Having you there to make sure they’re all safe takes a load off our minds”

“I don’t really do all that much” Severus admitted.

“No, I imagine you don’t.” Severus detected a fond, but wistful element to her smile.

“Mrs Granger-Weasley, before we begin discussing the reason I’ve asked to visit, I wanted to apologize to you. During the war I was under…a measure of strain, and my instructional methods were, by necessity, quite harsh. I was unable to nurture your gifts as I would have liked to, and I regret that”

The woman’s eyes filled with tears. “Professor, thank you for saying that, but there are no apologies necessary. We had to play our respective parts during the war, and we all suffered. Of all of the costs that the struggle exacted from us, the price that you, and Harry, paid were the ones I always felt saddest about.” She gave him a warm smile. “It’s water under the bridge. I’d like you to call me Hermione if you can manage it”

“I can. Please call me Severus” Snape found himself smiling back at the engaging young witch, who, it seemed, had finally come into the confidence she’d been lacking while a student.

Just then, Ron entered the room. “Hullo Professor” he greeted, pausing to kiss Hermione on the cheek before throwing himself into a chair at the table. 

“Mr Weasley” Severus greeted

“Call me Ron” 

“Ron. I was just finishing my apology to your wife, and I owe you an apology as well. My conduct during the war was unkind. I was not the educator I aspired to be. I have no excuse, only regrets. The two of you” he regarded each of them in turn “proved yourselves to be incredibly talented during the war. I am honoured to have fought alongside you”

Ron seemed taken aback by Severus’ open apologies. In truth, Severus had not known what he was going to say, but found himself meaning his words and hoping that his apology was accepted.

“Sir, the feeling is mutual. Your actions during the war truly turned things around for the side of the Light. The honour is mine.” With that, he presented Severus with a beaming grin and a little bow of his head, and continued. “Not that we’re not thrilled to have you, but what brings you to visit?”

Severus felt the smile that had been quirking on his lips fall. “I’ve thoughtlessly and unintentionally hurt Harry. I reacted poorly to a mishap that occurred, and Harry took my actions to mean some insulting things about himself. It’s entirely my fault, and I confess myself at a loss as to how to heal the breach, or, if such a thing is possible”

Hermione and Ron exchanged a look. “Lucy” they said together.

“Who is Lucy?” Severus asked, confused.

“That’s what Harry’s calling his new owl.” Ron grinned. “After Malfoy…senior, obviously”

“So you’ve heard what happened?”

“Harry called me last night. You’re right, he was very upset.” Hermione said. Severus felt his face fall further. He had yet to figure out why Harry’s esteem mattered so much to him, but the loss of the companionable environment around the house pained him.

“You have to understand, Severus, this really isn’t about you, at least not exactly.” Hermione began. Ron gave her a look that Severus couldn’t interpret. She quelled him with an equally incomprehensible look and continued. “Your words about the owl…in some ways, these are things that Harry has been saying about himself since he lost his magic.” At his look she hurried to continue “Not that he should be mercy-killed. But rather that a man with no magic has no place in the Wizarding world. He’s tried to leave a number of times. Harry’s self-esteem isn’t exactly the greatest”

“I’ve gathered that” Severus offered.

“He’s only staying out of guilt. Or obligation.” Ron said. Hermione cast a furious glare at him that suggested that this discussion wasn’t the first one they’d had on the subject. They exchanged a set of pointed looks at one another that spoke of a sort of shorthand that they'd developed over a long and companionable marriage. Severus was pleased to see that they'd ended up together so happily. Ron continued, “‘Mione, it’s true. He’s a fish out of water here, and it’s his ties to people that make him stay. But, when things get hard, and he needs to depend on others, he starts beating up on himself, and it’s easy for him to convince himself that we’d all be better off without him. If he didn’t have Teddy, I think he’d have left years ago.”

“And, not to make you feel more guilty, Severus,” Hermione said, only stumbling a little at the notion of referring to one of her Professors by their given name. “the fact that it’s you who has said these things makes it worse. I don’t think that you knew how fond Harry always was of you.”

“I find that very hard to believe”

“It’s true. You didn’t see him studying potions until all hours, trying to figure it all out” Ron volunteered. “Even as a little firstie, Harry wanted so badly to please you, but potions was a nut he couldn’t crack.” 

Severus snorted. “Harry hardly presented himself as an eager student”

“Well, you weren’t looking for one, were you?” Ron said reasonably. “You were looking for Harry’s dad. Besides that, when Harry gets defensive, he pushes people away. He was defensive a lot around you, but it was only because he really wanted you to like him”

“And then there was the whole sixth year thing” Hermione said, and they both grinned at one another.

“As I recall, your sixth year was not a particularly pleasant one for any of us” Severus said, shuddering at what he’d had to do.

“No, but before all of that, Harry got overly attached to a particular potions textbook. It drove us all mad”

“Truly?” Severus had known that Harry had gotten access to his old textbook, otherwise he’d never have known how to cast Sectumsempra. He’d never known the circumstances, though.

“I was jealous. He liked the Half-Blood Prince far more than me, that year. It was like the book was his best friend”

“Anyhow” Hermione said, giving Ron a fond little smile. “The point is, Harry has always looked up to you, and hearing you say things that confirmed what he believes about himself will be hard for him to recover from”

“So how do I make it up to him?”

“Trap him” Ron said. “You’re going to need to corner him somewhere and get him to talk to you. Then tell him what you told us”

“I would never-I wouldn’t…” Severus sputtered.

“I know that it’s a fairly…direct approach” Hermione soothed. “But when Harry’s hurting, he tends to bottle things up inside. He won’t approach you, and he’ll allow this to fester and make him come to conclusions that will only hurt him in the end.”

“Also,” Ron continued, getting into the spirit of things “If you really mean what you say, that you’re sorry, and that you’d like to make it right…stop waiting for him to ask you for help. Try to anticipate his needs. Get ahead of him. But talk first. Harry’s as clueless as I am. If you don’t spell things out, he’ll never figure it out on his own”

The conversation moved on, and Severus found himself asking after Hermione’s health.

“I’m tired of being pregnant, that’s for sure! My ankles have never been so swollen!”

“I have a topical remedy that will help with Oedema” he offered. I can brew it tonight, and Ron, you can come by to pick it up in the morning”

“I wonder why your magic didn’t work on Harry” Hermione wondered curiously.

Severus shrugged. “It’s vexing, to say the least. I have no earthly idea”

“Maybe you’re soulmates” Ron suggested.

“Been reading your Mother's romance novels again, Ronald?” Hermione snorted. “Soul bonds are a fairy tale”

“Just because you’ve never seen one…”

“I highly doubt that I’m bonded to Harry Potter, Ron. Surely I would have noticed” Severus said.

“As you say” Ronald shrugged, unconcerned.

Severus left the Granger-Weasley home, buoyed by the notion that, even if he were unable to resolve things with Harry, at least he’d made amends with the other two members of the Golden Trio.

When we returned home, (and when did he start thinking of Harry’s house as home?) Harry was sitting in the living room, staring out the window. The owl was perched in a cat bed, sleeping comfortably. He looked up at Severus’ arrival. He looked terrible, Severus noticed. Dark circles lingered under his eyes and there was a haunted look about him. He wasn’t smiling, Severus realized. Other than the few times Severus had seen him truly upset, like when he had found Teddy under the stairs, Harry was always smiling. He didn’t speak, and Severus felt a tiny stab of alarm. What if he couldn’t fix this?

“Harry” he said softly. “I feel so terrible about what happened.”

“I’m not feeling so great about it either” Harry said softly.

“Where’s Theodore?”

“Upstairs. I don’t think I’m good company today, so he went off to go read in his room”

“May I speak with you?”

Harry shrugged. It wasn’t an outright no, which Severus took as progress from the morning. He took a breath, unsure where to begin. He sat, fiddling with the arrangement of his robes, and settling himself in the chair. He crossed his legs, uncrossed them.

“Go ahead,” prompted Harry softly.

“I’m uncertain how to begin” he answered, just as softly. “Harry, it goes without question that I owe you a total, unmitigated apology for my behaviour yesterday. I was unthinking about your feelings, I put you in danger, I cast a dangerous spell in the house while Theodore was home, I damaged Draco's property, I tried to hurt an owl” 

Harry opened his mouth to speak, and Severus continued “Please, Harry, I’m terrible at this sort of thing, and I don’t want to make the situation worse by my ineptitude. Would you mind if I continued before you responded?”

Harry nodded. He was sitting stiffly, tense and closed-off. Severus hadn’t seen this posture since Harry was a schoolboy. He suddenly saw what Ron had been telling him earlier. When Harry felt bad about himself, he turned away. When he saw evidence to support all of the terrible things he believed about himself, he reacted defensively. Severus berated himself again. How had he ever thought that Harry had been arrogant? Looking at the man sitting across from him, Severus wondered what was wrong with him, to make him see James Potter in this person, who, frankly, couldn't be less like him if he'd tried.

“Thank you. I am sorry for those things, but I’m so much sorrier for how my actions made you feel. I understand now, that diminishing the value of the owl-“

“Lucy. Her name is Lucy”

Severus dipped his head in acknowledgement. “By diminishing Lucy’s value because she won’t fly again, it suggested that I think those things about you. I can only tell you that wasn’t my intention, because it never occurred to me to see you that way.”

“Harry, would you look at me?” Harry raised his gaze to Severus’, his expression wary. Severus smiled “Don’t worry, I won’t look at your mind. I just need you to see in my face that I’m telling you the truth” He hoped that he wasn’t imagining a fractional softening of Harry’s gaze. 

“I’d like to tell you what I see in you, Harry. When you were a child, I didn’t understand you. I was blinded by my hatred of your Father, and I was jealous of your power, and your ability to make people love you, and of your ability to experience the very worst things and not turn bitter or angry. Since I’ve come to live here, I’m still awed by your abilities. I’ve gotten to see you as those who love you see you. I’ve been witness to your kindness. And that’s why, Harry, in my mind, there was no parallel between an injured bird and yourself. You’re not a Wizard with no magic, or the Chosen One, or an arrogant spoiled boy. You’re Harry, and it’s a fine thing to be”

Harry’s jaw dropped open. Severus was hopeful that it’s not because he was so insulted by Severus’ confession that he was unable to speak. To Severus’ immense horror, Harry’s eyes filled with tears. Why did he always persist in making this man cry?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“ Severus was inarticulate in his distress. He longed to reach out and hold him in his arms, but Severus had spent too many years in self-imposed exile to pile an additional vulnerability on top of the one he’d just exposed. Besides, he’d clearly just made an utter cock-up of apologizing. Unable to observe the pain he’d just unwittingly wrought, Severus stood to leave the room.

“No, wait” Harry’s hands reached out, beseechingly. “Don’t go. I just need a second”

Awkwardly, Severus retook his seat. He could hear the clock ticking, so he counted the seconds, but lost track and had to start again. And again. He knew that he was awkwardly fidgeting with the hems of his sleeves, and forced himself to stop. 

Finally, Harry stood and approached him. For a moment, Severus tensed. For a small man, Harry was mightily strong, and Severus was rather worried about the power behind his right hook. Instead, Harry put both of his hands on Severus’. “Thank you” he said softly, his eyes still glinting with tears, but incredibly warm. Severus thought for a moment that there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to see that warmth directed at him again. “I will never be able to tell you what your words mean to me. All my life, I’ve hoped that someone might see me as ‘just Harry’. Ron and Hermione do, sort of, but they still make all sorts of assumptions. The fact that it didn’t even cross your mind that Lucy and I were, basically one and the same…well…I’m so grateful that you said that. I know that these sorts of emotional conversations aren’t really your thing. So thank you”

And just like that, they were okay again. Better than before. Severus became accustomed to stopping his work when the heavy front door banged, and Harry and Teddy came home from from work and school, often with four or five other children in tow. Severus, who’d never really loved children, enjoyed these ones. He never stopped to ask himself why, but if he’d been pressed to answer the question, the answer would likely have simply been ‘because Harry does’.

He had become very fond of Theodore, largely on the child’s own merits, but aided greatly by proximity, and the fact that Harry’s eyes lit up when he saw Teddy learning something new. Of the additional children that entered their zenith, Severus especially enjoyed Dominique Weasley. She was a cautious child, one who lingered on the sidelines watching, rather than plunging into the action like her older sister. The other children were rougher, braver, while Dominique was a thinker. Much like Severus had been. Harry called her his ‘old soul’. 

Once such day, when the children (and Harry) were involved in some sort of game that seemed to involve running up and down the stairs and slamming doors, Dominique sidled up to his side, a thumb planted in the corner of her mouth. She had beautiful long golden hair, and her eyes were violet. Severus had no doubt that her mother’s Veela inheritance had played a part in her ethereal beauty

“‘Fessor Snape” she said solemnly. 

“Dominique” he replied.

“You don’t play the wild games, like Uncle Harry”

“No indeed. I have bad knees. You don’t play the wild games either”

“I think that I also have the bad knees”

“What do you like to do instead?”

“I like gentlemen with bad knees to tell me stories” she replied. “Et vous?”

“I enjoy telling stories to little girls who may also have bad knees”

They exchanged small smiles, and Harry found them later, Dominique perched on Severus’ lap, a copy of ‘Beetle the Bard’ held between them.

“Dominique, darling. Don’t you want to come play with your cousins? Even Scorpius is playing” he encouraged.

Dominique removed the thumb from her mouth and replied imperiously, “We are fine here”

Harry shot an apologetic look at Severus. “Sweetheart, you ought not to bother Mister Snape. He is likely very busy”

“He isn’t” she assured him dismissively, and settled back into Severus’ chest, turning the page.

“Would you like me to put a stop to this?” Harry asked Severus, looking worried.

“I think not. We’re just getting to the best bit” Severus answered, continuing to read. With a bemused little smile, Harry left the room and soon could be heard joining the children singing Karaoke. Terribly.

When the story was finished, Dominique fixed her gaze on Severus. “You’re the most clever of all, aren’t you?” Smirking a bit, Severus assented. “We must find Uncle Harry’s missing magic, you know.”

“Uncle Harry says he doesn’t want his magic”

“Uncle Harry says many things that aren’t true. You’re the only one who can find it, mais non?”

“Do you think that’s true?”

“I know it is. You will know where to find it. The answer is inside your heart” With that, the fey little girl pecked a kiss on the end of Severus’ hawkish nose, hopped off of his lap and disappeared in search of her cousins. It was a silly little thing for an imaginative little girl to say, but as he lay in bad that night, Severus turned Dominique’s words over and over in his mind.


	10. The Vengeful Owl

Lucy the owl was a menace, Severus had decided. The little bird had decided that Harry was her Chosen One, along with the rest of the Wizarding World, and she hopped after him hooting adoringly everywhere he went. The bird had taken to sleeping in Harry’s bed, and if separated from him by a closed door, or, one afternoon, a hastily assembled baby gate, she took to mournfully hooting her dismay. In short, the bird never shut up. Her cries resembled a squeaky hinge, and they were repeated with such frequency, that the house seemed to be teeming with noise. Severus was tempted to turn her into a duster. Fortunately, Harry took her along with him in his van while he did the school run. 

Today, however, he was planning on doing the shopping, and Muggle grocery stores had funny policies about owls. After completing his list, he picked up the owl and held her to his chest, running worried hands down her feathers.

“You’re sure she’ll be alright?” he asked.

“Positive” Severus drawled.

“And you have your mobile?” Harry had insisted on purchasing the Muggle telly-phone for Severus so that they could text. Severus hated the blasted thing, even after he’d programmed it to play a catchy little tune when Harry called. Severus was still figuring out how to text, but if the Muggle store didn’t want owls, they’d probably be annoyed by a Patronus as well.

“I have my mobile”

“Keep it with you, don’t forget it upstairs. In fact, don’t go downstairs. Lucy shouldn’t be around cauldrons. Just…stay in the kitchen with her”

“Very well” Severus had no intention of doing any such thing, but he’d say anything to get Harry out of the house and back again.

“And don’t try to mercy kill her”

“That was one time”

“No spells. None.”

“You’re being ridiculous. You didn’t fuss this much when you left Theodore with me”

“You haven’t tried to kill Teddy”

“Not yet. Go. The bird will be fine”

“If she gets upset, play her the Beatles. She likes that”

“Out!” Severus roared. With a last worried glance, Harry threw some owl treats on the ground to distract Lucy, and ducked out the door. Severus heard his van start up, and pull out of the drive.

The owl, having consumed the treats, looked up to find her master missing, and began hooting in dismay. She hopped over to the window and looked out, then hopped into the sitting room and then the library, calling for Harry. Severus could hear the bird’s distress. _If this bird has a coronary, I’ll be blamed_, he thought dourly, trailing after the bird.

“Lucy” he said firmly. “Harry will be returning shortly. I suggest you return to your bed and rest until he does”

The bird, who had truly not forgiven Severus for his earlier attempts to ease her suffering, hissed angrily at him. Bugger. Despite the fact that she couldn’t fly, she had a fierce beak, and sharp talons. Severus didn’t fancy what might happened if she attacked. His hand inched towards his wand. Bugger again, he’d promised Harry. The bird, if possible, was more upset than she was before. 

The mobile in Severus’ pocket buzzed. Severus ignored it, and said to the bird, “Cease this. You will be fine. He will return”

The bird's hooting increased in volume and intensity. The feathers around her neck puffed out with the effort. “Rude” Severus muttered. What had Harry said that morning? Bacon. The bird had a weakness for bacon. He retreated from the angry owl, who waved her one good wing at him and hissed again. As he entered the kitchen, he approached the fridge as his mobile buzzed again. Infernal device. Opening the fridge, he found some leftover bacon from breakfast, and opened the little plastic baggy that Harry had put it in. 

Lucy had decided to follow him, either because she felt she had him on the run, or because she hoped that snacks would be forthcoming. “Look” he said evenly. “I have bacon, which, I’m told, you enjoy. If you would comport yourself with some dignity, then I will share this bacon with you” Lucy hopped closer, eyes watching the baggy avidly. As Severus removed a thick slice, the sound of bells erupted from his pocket. Severus jumped, the bacon falling out of his hand. The bird also jumped, but, opportunistic little snot that it was, began picking at the bacon.

The bells continued. Eventually Severus realized that the noise was coming from his mobile. He snatched it from his pocket. “This is not a good time,” he barked into it.

“Severus? I got worried. You didn’t answer my texts”

“Little busy” Severus panted. Lucy had finished the bacon and was now pursuing him, beak snapping.

“How’s Luc?”

“Angry”

“What did you do?” Harry demanded.

“Nothing!” Severus squawked. “She realized you were gone and took it out on me. Please may I cast a calming spell? She’s going to peck me!”

“Aw, she’s scared. Put her on!”

“I will not!” By now, Severus had leapt onto the counter. Thank Merlin the bird could no longer fly. “Potter. One spell. Just to take the edge off. I swear to you I won’t hurt her. She is unable to swear that she won’t hurt _me_”

“No, Severus, god, I can’t believe-“

“You value life!” Severus reminded him in a howl. “If you come home and I’m dead, you won’t be able to stay here on your own!”

“She’s not going to kill you. Oh, I can hear her!”

“It will be on your conscience if she does kill me.”

“Fine. One calming spell. A gentle one. One that makes her have nice bird dreams”

“Thank you” Severus snapped the phone closed, and pulled his wand out in relief. As he pointed it at the bird, it hissed at him again, and snapped at the hem of his robe, which was nearly in reach. “_Tranquillitas_” he cast.

Instantly, the bird seemed to relax. It looked around, and tilted its head at Severus curiously, as if wondering why he were perched anxiously on the countertop. Severus tentatively hopped down. Lucy approached him slowly, giving a tentative nip at the edge of his slipper. Relieved, Severus retrieved another slice of bacon from the baggy and offered it to her. 

An hour later, Lucy and Severus were fully reconciled. The little owl was snuggled by his feet, and Severus was humming “Hey Jude” while he wrote in his notebook. Harry bustled in through the kitchen door, arms full of groceries.

Lucy leapt to her feet with an overjoyed series of hoots and hopped over to Harry. He dumped the bags on the counter and swept her up. “I missed you too” he laughed.

“Did she behave?”

“She was an angel” Severus said dryly. As Harry bustled about, putting the groceries away, Severus said what had been on his mind for most of the afternoon. “It wasn’t the bird”

“Huh? What wasn’t”

“Don’t you find it curious that when I cast the spell that you jumped in front of, that it had no effect? It should have killed you”

Harry twitched. If Severus hadn’t been admiring his backside as he bent into the cupboards, he wouldn’t have noticed it. “Yeah, it’s a mystery. Probably something weird to do with my squibbiness.”

“Squibbiness isn’t a word”

“Sure it is. It’s an adjective. Or a derivative of an adjective. I’ll use it in a sentence: Harry’s squibbiness caused Draco Malfoy, an overreactive prat, to invoke a life debt that forced Severus Snape to babysit him.”

“My my, Potter, you’re a true linguist”

“I am. Pasta for dinner tonight?”

“Whatever. I was curious, though. I wondered if there were something off about Lucy”

“There’s nothing off about Lucy, she’s perfect”

“Indeed. And you’re right. When I cast the spell on her, it worked like…ahem…a charm”

“Hmm, well that’s good. If she finds herself with another broken wing, you might succeed in killing her the next time”

Harry was bantering with Severus like usual, but Severus hadn’t been watching the man for months now without picking up a few tells. His hands were knotted, a sign that he was nervous, and his voice sounded relaxed, but his shoulders were up around his ears. _Curious_, Severus thought.

“So, it’s not the bird, and I haven’t been able to recreate the problem since, so I think it’s safe to say that there isn’t anything wrong with my casting abilities. I wonder what it could be?” 

“Why does it matter?”

“Because, Harry, it’s a mystery. And you love a good mystery”

“I don’t as it happens. You thought I did because I was always embroiled in them at Hogwarts. It turns out, though, that there was a madman who kept trying to kill me. I could have done without the mysteries, if I’m being honest” Harry banged a cupboard door closed a little harder than usual.

Teddy came bouncing into the kitchen. “Good, you’re home” he said to Harry. “Did you get those biscuits I like?”

“I did. But don’t open them now, they’ll ruin your dinner” Teddy had the packet in his hands and was just about the rip into it with his teeth.

“Come on, Harry”

“Nope, I’m making pasta.”

“Just one”

“I said no”

“You’re a prat” Teddy threw the packet of biscuits onto the counter. They bounced off the corner, and flew open, broken biscuits flying everywhere.

“Ted! Apologize and clean those up, please”

“Make me” The words were said quietly enough, but the insolent challenge was unmistakeable.

“What’s going on, Teddy?”

“Nothing’s going on. I just think that you should stuff your stupid rules. It’s not like you’ll do anything anyway”

“Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know. What are you going to do, hit me? Starve me?”

Harry’s brow crinkled. “God, Teddy of course not. I wish I knew why you were so angry with me”

“It’s nothing. I hate it here. I hate you” Teddy ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The door to his room slammed.

Harry slumped to the floor and leaned against the cupboards. “What a monster he’s being right now. What do you suppose is wrong?”

“Merlin knows. It could just be approaching adolescence, along with a dose of missing his Grandmother”

“It’s so frustrating. I was beaten and starved, and I never even dreamed of talking back to my Aunt and Uncle like that. God, Severus, was I that much of a little asshole to you?”

Severus smiled. “You had your moments. But no, in hindsight, I understand you differently, I think. Every time you were impertinent, it was because you were terrified about something, or frustrated because someone was hiding something from you.”

“I understand why you threw a jar of cockroaches at me”

“I did no such thing”

“The pensieve. Which I never apologized for, by the way.”

“Oh yes. I was rather upset with you.”

“With good reason. I think I’m being punished, Severus. The universe has gifted me with the child of a Maurader, possibly the only nice Maurader, and yet, Ted's channeling my father.”

“By that logic, it’s me who’s being punished”

“Fair point. What should I do differently?”

“With Theodore? You’re doing alright. Don’t give in when he’s being insufferable. I was always partial to punishing children with manual labour.”

“Don’t I know it? My hands still smell of cauldron cleaner”

Lucy had hopped over and was snuggled in Harry’s lap. He was looking down at her fondly, and stroking her feathers. She nibbled affectionately on his index finger, making a happy little chirruping noise. “I’m glad you’re here, Severus. It’s nice having someone to talk with about this stuff. Lucy gives terrible advice”


	11. An Annoyingly Small Dataset

Severus had always enjoyed figuring things out. In his youth, this had meant consuming as many volumes on Dark Spells he could find. In his older, more sedate years, he had taken to doing the Cryptic Crossword in the Prophet, and never failed to beat the suggested completion times. One of the reasons he most liked potions was the notion of experimentation. So after a few days of thinking of why Harry had been uninjured by his spell, he was alight with the fire of unanswered questions.

He emerged from his labs and entered the kitchen. Teddy was angrily washing dishes at the sink. There were sloshes of water all over the countertop and floor and the boy was muttering darkly to himself.

“Mister Lupin. Kindly keep the water where it belongs” Severus said mildly, waving his wand at the sudsy mess. The child growled at him. _Shades of his father,_ Severus thought. “Where’s your Uncle?”

“He’s not my uncle. He’s my godfather”

“Regardless. Where is he?”

“Who cares?”

“Do you wish to talk about your concerns, or do you wish to continue behaving like an insufferable monster?” Severus asked conversationally. 

“Monster,” Teddy said, rather pissily, Severus noted.

“As you wish” Severus responded. “We will talk about this at some point, Mister Lupin.”

Satisfied by the swish of his robes as he stalked from the room, Severus found Harry in the living room idly flipping through a book. “Teddy being his charming little self?” Harry asked.

At Severus’ facial expression, Harry laughed sadly. “I can’t get through to him. I wish I knew what was bothering him.”

“He’ll tell you, in time. I came to ask you something.”

“Yes?” Harry met his eyes, a tentative smile on his lips. 

“I’d like to cast a spell on you” At his words, the smile disappeared, and the sparkling eyes shuttered. 

“You said you wouldn’t”

“I know. Which is why I’m asking you instead of sneaking up behind you and casting it.”

“Why? What spell?”

“It doesn’t matter what spell. I want to find out why my magic failed that day.”

“Severus, why can’t you leave that alone? Not everything needs to be investigated.”

“I could spend all day pointing out why that statement is false, but surely you must see that I need to know why I couldn’t cast that spell.”

“Why? Why is that spell so important?”

Impatiently, Severus got to his feet and strode to the window. “It’s not that spell. You’re being deliberately obtuse! If my magic fails at inopportune moments, I could be left defenceless!”

“The war is over, Severus. You don’t have to worry about being defenceless anymore.”

Severus huffed. “You might not take your responsibilities seriously, but I do”

“What do you mean?”

“Harry, I’ve been charged with your protection, with Theodore’s. If my magic were to fail at the wrong moment-“ Severus felt heat rise on his neck. He stared out the window, embarrassed at blurting out his motivations so baldly.

“Really? You’re worried about me? And Teddy?”

“A wizard’s oath is his bond,” Severus said, a little defensively.

Harry smiled. “You’re different from how you were in school.” he said softly.

“Can we return to the matter at hand?” Severus knew he sounded prickly.

“I can’t let you.”

“Can’t let me return to the matter at hand?”

“Now who’s being obtuse? I forbid you to cast any spell on me.”

“Stubborn brat.”

“Arrogant git.”

They had somehow come to face one another. Severus could see that Harry was breathing fast. He wouldn’t look Severus in the eyes. Strangely, he was looking at Severus’ mouth, but maybe it was a height thing. Severus felt his temper rising. “Why won’t you let me help you, you bloody fool?”

“Because this won’t help me! I don’t want you casting magic on me. It…it hurts” Harry said quietly, his eyes dropping to his worn-out trainers.

“It hurts having magic cast on you?”

There was a long silence. “No.” Harry finally admitted. “I was trying to lie to you.”

“Truly? That was a real attempt? Merlin, you’re a terrible liar”

“I know. Stupid hat. I would have made a terrible Slytherin.”

“What?” Severus often found himself baffled around Harry. At Hogwarts, Severus had dismissed him as a simpleton, but he now realized that Harry was clever, in his own way. He just didn't think in a linear fashion, with sequential logic. His mind moved so quickly, and in so many unexpected directions, that Severus often couldn’t keep up with the gigantic leaps in thought process. 

“Hat. It wanted me for Slytherin. I talked it out of it. Bloody good thing, your snakes would have eaten me alive.” Suddenly, those infernal eyes were meeting Severus' again. They were pleading, and Severus knew that Harry wasn’t far from tears. “Severus. I don’t ask you for much. I am begging you not to cast a spell on me. I am pleading with you to accept my wishes.”

“Fine, I won’t cast a spell on you. Unless you agree.”

“I’ll never agree.”

“Then you have your promise.”

Severus heartily believed that discretion was the better part of valour, and so, while he dropped the subject around Harry, his curious mind turned the problem over and over again. Draco found him in the laboratory curled over a parchment, muttering to himself. 

“What are you doing?” Draco wanted to know.

“Thinking”

“I like thinking”

“Go away, Draco.”

“Let me help” Draco hopped onto a stool next to Severus. “What are you thinking about?”

“Why my magic doesn’t work on Harry.”

“You call him Harry!” Draco beamed at him, then his smile faltered a little at the edges. “Wait, it doesn’t?”

“I don’t think so. I have an annoyingly small dataset to analyze” Severus explained the owl, and how he’d performed magic flawlessly ever since, and how he could cast the same spell on a rat.

Draco’s pretty-boy face was thoughtful. “Severus, did you fuck him?”

“Excuse me?”

“Harry. Did you shag?”

“How dare you?” Severus was horrified. “I would never force myself on someone else. I am absolutely livid with you! To accuse me of such a-“ With a furious sniff, Severus turned away, scowling so deeply that the ridges in his forehead ached.

“Simmer down, Severus. I was only asking.”

“I can’t imagine why you’d ask such a thing!”

“I’m not suggesting that you behaved inappropriately. Harry’s an adult, and knows what he wants”

“Harry’s not even-“ 

“Merlin, Severus, you don’t pay attention to anything, do you? Of course Harry’s gay. You don’t think he was watching Oliver Wood’s Quidditch skills, did you?” Draco chuckled. “I’ll admit, though, Wood does have a fine arse. Fair Quidditch player, too.”

“Draco!”

“Okay, so obviously you haven’t shagged, yet, or you wouldn’t be so sniffy about it all”

“What do you mean ‘yet’?”

“I have eyes, Uncle Severus. Are you trying to tell me that you’re not interested in him?”

“Of course not” Severus considered hexing his Godson, but if Harry was protective of an owl, Severus could only imagine what he’d do to protect his best friend. 

“Oh?” Draco’s grin was positively feral. “No interest whatsoever?”

“Did I stutter?”

“So if I’d come over here because I’ve met an amazing wizard who is very suitable for Harry, you’d be okay with that?”

Severus’ veins filled with ice. A terrible growling noise occurred, and it was with not a little consternation that Severus realized it was coming from his own throat. “How?”

“How what?”

“How is he suitable?”

“He’s from a good family. French, so not as prone to the hero-worship of English Wizards. Very handsome. Powerful.”

“I didn’t realize that Harry were interested in dating” Severus occluded like a madman, and forced his voice, long-trained from years of deceiving the Dark Lord, to remain even.

“Merlin, you’re a prat!” Draco chuckled. Severus longed to punch his pointy face. One punch, and he could heal it before Harry even noticed. A nice little _Oblivate_ and Draco himself wouldn’t remember it. Only Severus would. His hand, seemingly of its own accord, balled into a fist. 

“You’re a disrespectful lout” Severus said, coldly.

“Temper” Draco tutted. “Honestly, Severus, I didn’t expect you to play the shrinking Hufflepuff. It’s obvious to anyone paying attention that you’re attracted to Harry. Why don’t you tell him?”

Emotions taking control of him for a moment, Severus snipped at him, “Oh, yes, Draco, splendid idea. And when, after I do so, I find myself out on my arse with a broken unbreakable vow, gasping my last dying breaths, will I find solace in saying ‘I told you so’?”

Draco laughed. “You think that Harry would boot you out for telling him that you’re in love with him?”

“I’m not in love with him”

“Fine. In _like_ with him”

“You’re a child”

“No, you are. Severus, I have watched you subjugate your desires for decades. When will you ever grasp something that you want?”

“Harry’s not a thing to be grasped. He’s a person, Draco, and I’m the last man he’d be interested in”

“I bet you’d be surprised. Anyhow, we’ve gotten off track. This magic thing might be one of those unexplainable things that happen to Harry that seem to defy logic and will somehow make sense just in the nick of time.”

“He does seem to have a genius for those circumstances,” Severus admitted, recalling Harry's unexpected gift of Parseltongue.

“So we need more data.” Draco leapt from his stool and disappeared up the stairs. 

A few minutes later, Severus heard Harry cry “Ow, Draco, what the ever-loving fuck?” Moments later, Draco was back downstairs. 

“It’s just your magic” he confirmed.

“Did you hex him?” Severus asked. Draco nodded, unrepentant, his face thoughtful. “You couldn’t cast a cheering charm on him? It had to be a stinging hex?”

“Aw, Severus, you’re sweet on him!” Draco cooed, his face full of mirth, and, in Severus' opinion, begging for a slap.

“Shut it”

“And no, I couldn’t cast a cheering charm. How would we have noticed any difference?” Severus had to admit that he had a point.


	12. A Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your patience is finally paying off, and you'll finally learn the mystery of Harry's missing magic! Thanks for sticking with me so far, and a MILLION thanks for all the amazing comments. I really appreciate that you're enjoying this journey!
> 
> Also. Apologies for a bit of a cliffie. Have faith, little ones! Your Relevant Peach won't leave you in the pit of despair for long!

Severus was obsessing, and he was well aware of it. The matter of the miscast spell taunted him constantly. Harry and Teddy both were casting a wide berth around him as he muttered to himself, consulting book after book. The most vexing part of the matter was the simple fact that Harry Potter was involved. Many of the mysteries and frustrations in his life had centred around Harry-fucking-Potter, why should this have been any different?

And, while mightily annoyed that, of course, it was Harry to whom unexplainable things happened, Severus couldn’t deny that Ron’s words occupied his thoughts equally. The notion of himself and Harry being soulmates was so ridiculous that Severus longed to refute it completely. Soulmates were a romance writer's trope, not documented fact. Any of the deep partnerships that Severus had observed: Arthur and Molly Weasley, Alice and Frank Longbottom, hell, Harry’s own parents (much as it chagrined Severus to admit it), had been referred to as soul bonds, but Severus knew that if there’d been any factual changes wrought by their bonding, they’d be documented somewhere. Besides that, he’d personally witnessed Lily hex James Potter on a number of occasions, and those had all worked just fine.

And there was nothing. No documented proof of one partnership being any more magically blessed than another. Severus admitted to himself that if there were going to be a person who had broken magical convention by having an unexplained happening, it was likely to be Harry. But with Severus? This is where Severus’ careful reasoning fell apart. He was no more likely to be a preordained magical match for Harry than Lucius Malfoy. He and Harry had only recently learned to treat one another with basic respect. Surely there was no chance that they could develop a closer relationship than the tentative friendship they had now?

Severus was well aware that he was an unlikely partner for most. His looks were harsh, his personality more so, and Severus possessed enough self-awareness to realize that he was far too domineering to make a decent mate for any but the most resilient. Few people were brave enough to withstand a battle of wits, and Severus refused to consider anyone who simply gave in to him. Granted, Harry had never cowed to him, and was more than strong enough to stand up for his principles. But, to consider a possible link to Harry was folly. Tea, he decided. Tea was usually the correct answer.

Severus made his way into the kitchen. Harry was at the counter, making scones. He had his back to Severus, and gave the older man an opportunity to watch him unnoticed. Draco was right, Harry had never truly grown to the height of either of his parents. His spare frame, far from being skinny, was lithe and compact. Despite his stature, he gave an aura of strength, dependability. He’d grown his hair out a little longer since his schooldays, and the once spiky riot was now a (still rather disheveled) mop of waves. They seemed to obey his comb no more than they ever had, but where once he looked untidy, now he looked as though he’d just been out in a bracing windstorm, tousled, but appealing. His skin was shades darker than Severus’ own, unblemished, but for the scars he’d obtained throughout his life. He was attractive, Severus admitted. More than attractive. Severus must have made a noise as he scrutinized his housemate, because Harry turned from his work then. He had a smudge of flour on his cheek, and he gifted Severus with a brilliant smile.

Severus felt a sinking in his chest as he continued to stare at Harry. Despite his protests, it was impossible to deny it. He fancied Harry. He was doomed.

“What’s up, Severus? These scones are for breakfast, but they’ll be ready in about a half hour if you’re hungry.” Severus wordlessly shook his head. “Are you alright? You look upset” 

“I’m fine” the words were croaky. Severus cleared his throat, tried again. “I’m fine”

“Are you sure? Why don’t you sit down?” Harry abandoned his scone-making and went to Severus’ side. He wrapped an arm around Severus’ waist, dusting flour all over Severus' robes, and guided him towards the table. “I’ll make tea”

“Yes. Tea” Severus felt as though his words were coming from far away. The feeling of Harry’s arm around his waist caused a thrill to pass through him. He was dizzy. Firmly, but gently, Harry pressed him into a chair. 

Harry squatted in between Severus’ sprawled legs and looked up into his face. “Severus? You’re kind of scaring me. Did you get bad news or something?”. The green eyes searched Severus’, a worried wrinkle appearing in the middle of his forehead. “I think I’d better call Draco”

“No” Severus’ voice sounded unnaturally loud. “That’s…that’s not required. I’m fine, Harry, I just. My research, I-“

“What?” Through the haze of his foggy mind, Severus detected a change in Harry’s tone. Where previously, he’d sounded concerned, now he sounded…defensive. His chin was raised, and Severus remembered those eyes looking up at him at Hogwarts, defiant, angry that his secrets were being discovered. 

Oh Merlin, his secrets…Suddenly, with a chill up his spine and a terrible certainty, Severus knew. “Harry. What did you do?”

Harry scrabbled backwards on the floor creating distance between Severus and himself. “What? Nothing. What are you talking about?” 

Over his growing unease, Severus found his centre, breathed, calmed. “Harry, what happened to your magic?”

“Nobody knows.”

“I think you know. Harry. It’s time to be honest with me” Severus was amazed that his voice sounded gentle.

Harry stood, slumped into a chair opposite Severus, and examined his hand for a very long time, tracing a scar on the top of his hand. Finally, he let out a huge sigh. “It was an accident”

“Tell me” It wasn’t a demand. Severus knew that in the past, his failings with Harry had been that he’d tried to force him to do things. Harry always did the right thing, but he needed to be able to choose to do so. The silence stretched endlessly, and Severus felt his frustration rising when Harry squared his shoulders.

“After…well, after Voldemort, the first thing that I did was run to the Shrieking Shack. I hadn’t wanted to leave you when you gave me your memories, but time was running out, and I needed to kill that bastard, which, you knew. But the first second I had when he was dead, all I could think about was getting back to you. I wanted to make sure that someone didn’t do anything to your body. I wanted you to be buried a hero.”

He paused, gave his hand a little rub and cast a pain-filled gaze Severus’ way. “I was pretty surprised that you were still alive when I got back. Merlin, Severus, if I’d known you weren’t dead, I-"

“Of course, Harry, I know you would have. Don’t worry”

“So you were alive. But just barely. Gods, Severus, there was so much blood and you were barely breathing, and you coughed and there was more blood. I kind of panicked.”

Severus nodded at him, waiting for him to continue. “You were just laying there, and I didn’t think I would be able to apparate you without splinching you, and I called for help but nobody was around.” Severus could see that he was starting to get upset. His breath was coming in shallow gasps, and his eyes were wide. He placed a hand on Harry’s arm. “I was losing you. I was watching you die in front of my eyes. And then you stopped breathing”

Harry paused for a moment. He was looking off into the distance as he continued. “Honestly, Severus, it felt like the world stopped. It was as if a herd of Dementors were hovering over me. I felt so hopeless. We’d lost so many, and you’d made such a huge sacrifice. To lose you too, it just…well it was just unfair, you know? To be honest, I don’t really know what happened next. I could feel my magic reaching out, out of control. Kind of like that time in Dumbledore’s office, when I broke all of his stuff. Before I really knew what was happening, I was just sending my magic to you. And it helped. You gasped this huge breath, and your face got some of its colour back. But then, I couldn’t stop it. My magic kept pouring out of me, and into you. And then I passed out. When I woke up, I was exhausted, and for the first time since I got it, my wand felt like a harmless little stick. You were still unconscious, but you looked okay. I knew you’d be fine. I also knew that all holy hell would break loose if anyone found out what had happened. So I left. I walked back to the castle, and someone found me, and made me go to Pomphrey, and she cast about a million spells on me, but my magic was gone.”

Harry gave a funny little shrug and a ghost of a smile. “So now you know my big secret.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Severus knew his voice sounded cold, but he was barely managing to keep his emotions in check. Firmly occluding, he plastered an expressionless mask on his face.

Harry gave a little chuckle. “I’m not as stupid as people think I am. I was the only person who knew your actual role in the war. If I’d told anyone what had happened before I was able to clear your name, you’d have been tortured, vilified more than you already were. Besides that, I knew that if you found out, you’d kill yourself trying to reverse it”

“You foolish boy. Of course we’re going to reverse it. Why would you do such a thing?” Severus welcomed the waves of temper that bathed him. Anger was good, anger was a distraction from the confusing other emotions.

“How can you even ask such a thing?” Harry’s smile was fond. “How could I have left you there to die?”

Severus’ hand came down on the table with a bang, causing Harry to jump. “You fool! You utter fucking fool! It was all for you, it was my penance. Of course I was supposed to die, and you were supposed to live and go on and find the happiness that I robbed you of during your whole miserable life!”

“But this is better! This way we both get to go on” Harry’s face was earnest and hopeful, a tiny smile on his lips as he struggled to make Severus understand.

“Is that what you call this? Going on? You, robbed of your magic and blundering along in the world without it? I would never have allowed this, and you know it. I would never have cursed you to this half-life!”

Something changed in Harry’s face then, shutters came down in his expressive eyes, but not before Severus could see a flash of devastation. “I should have known. A half life? For all your fancy words at not seeing me as something broken, something ruined, just because I gave my magic away…you don’t understand. You never will” Harry’s voice sounded empty, cold. This brash, foolhardy man had just given up on Severus. After a few moments of silence, during which Severus longed to retract his earlier words, Harry looked up at him. “I think I’d like you to leave now. Draco will make arrangements to get your things to you.”

“Harry, I can’t. I can’t leave you here to your own devices, and I swore an unbreakable vow. I’d die on your doorstep”

“Oh.” Harry seemed to consider what to say to this. For a moment his eyes hardened, then softened again. “Alright. I’d forgotten that. I’ll go then. Draco can sort out the vow. He’s the one who got us into this mess.”

“Please” Severus was unprepared for the broken way the word escaped his mouth. “Harry, we can figure this out. I apo-“

“Don’t. Don’t apologize. You can’t help the way you feel, any more than I can. It’s not your fault.” Before Severus could entreat Harry to expand on his rather cryptic statement, he stood. “I’m going. I expect Draco’ll be here in the morning to sort things out”

He rose, and Severus heard him climb the stairs. The sound of raised voices occurred a few minutes later.

“I’m not leaving, Uncle Harry! I like it here, and I like Mister Snape!”

“Teddy, please. Please. Would it kill you cooperate for once in your life?”

“All I ever do is cooperate! I’m not leaving here, I’m not going with you!”

“Theodore Remus Lupin! If you think for a moment that I’m playing around, you’re mad. Get your arse off that bed and down the stairs! We’re leaving now!”

“What are you going to do about it if I don’t? You’re a crap Godfather, and you were a crap Wizard who got my parents killed and couldn’t even bother to hang on to your magic! I’m not going anywhere with you!”

There was an enormous bang then. Severus rushed up the stairs to intervene. Whatever the issues between Severus and Harry, Severus refused to let Teddy get away with speaking to Harry like that. When he reached the top of the stairs, he found Harry laying on his back in the hallway. Teddy’s door was closed. Severus rushed to Harry’s side where he was holding his head, appearing dazed. “His magic flung me out the door” he whispered, his voice so full of pain that Severus felt like weeping. “I…I can't. I have to go. Severus, can you…”

“I’ll take care of Mister Lupin” Severus confirmed gravely. “But I wish you’d stay, Harry. I wish to speak to you”

“Please...” the word communicated how tenuous Harry’s hold on his composure was. “I can’t. Not tonight. Please?”

“You’ll be okay?” With a shaky nod, Harry picked himself up and carefully made his way down the stairs. A moment later, Severus heard his van leave the driveway.

Severus didn’t bother to knock on the closed door in front of him. As he opened it, a sullen face turned his way. “Come to give me my punishment?” Teddy asked glumly.

“Perhaps” Severus answered. “But first I’d like to talk. I can’t help but notice that you’ve been very angry with Harry over the past several weeks. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know” the boy confessed, allowing true pain to wash over his features. “I can’t seem to help myself. I love Uncle Harry, but I can’t help but be mean to him”

“Bullshite” Severus pronounced evenly. “I think you see Harry as weak. I think you’re angry about some of the circumstances of your life, and Harry is an easy scapegoat, because he loves you so much that he lets you away with your disrespect.”

“It isn’t fair.” The words were quiet, but Severus had no doubt that the boy believed them heartily. “Everyone else has a proper family. Everyone else has parents who can teach them magic. Everyone else has parents who can protect them.”

_Ah_, Severus thought. “You’re frightened that Harry can’t keep you safe?”

“Everyone says that he was the most powerful Wizard who ever lived. All I see is someone who starts crying when I hide in a cupboard. I feel mad all the time, Mister Snape. What happens the next time Harry tries to make me do something, and I make all the knives in the kitchen fly at him? I can’t protect him from me. And he can’t protect me from me. Why isn’t anybody doing anything? It was different when my Gran was alive. She was the one in charge, and Uncle Harry was like this older brother or something. Now that he’s supposed to be my dad, I guess…I just worry all the time that I won’t be able to keep him safe”

“Mmm” Severus replied, a little noncommittally, but he was occupied, wondering how any child made it to adulthood sane when growing up seemed rife with unsurmountable problems. Then again, most of the adults he had spent any time with hadn’t had idillic childhoods. Perhaps there were some, somewhere, who enjoyed storied, safe upbringings. Maybe being a Wizard had something to do with it, he reasoned. Then again, the Weasleys didn’t seem to be too terribly off. They’d only had to cope with…no, they’d had their fair share as well. Dumbstruck, Severus listed off everyone he knew, one by one, cataloguing their childhood traumas. Finally, he came to Dominique Weasley and drew a sigh of relief. Without the threat of Voldemort picking off one’s parents left and right, there might be some children who would escape their youth unscathed.

“Mister Snape?”

“Hmm yes?” Severus replied absently.

“It’s just…you’ve been sitting here quite a while without saying something, and I was sort of counting on you being able to help me sort this out. Are you going mad too?”

“Harry’s not mad”

“He’s not normal”

Severus sighed. He was abysmal at reassuring children. Thank Merlin he wasn’t teaching any longer. “Normal is overrated, Mister Lupin. While I’ll admit that you’ve had some losses in your life to cope with, and yes, life truly isn’t fair, you’re not unsafe. Nothing has happened to yourself or to Harry since I’ve moved in.”

“You did almost kill Uncle Harry”

Severus waved his hand impatiently. “But I didn’t. My point is, you have two options. You can try to make some sort of peace with your complicated feelings about your Godfather, and have the most devoted parental figure you’re likely to ever find, or you may ask to be placed with different Guardians. I believe you’re related to Draco, aren’t you?”

“I suppose. I wish my Gran were alive. I wish my parents were alive”

“I wish you’d stop feeling sorry for yourself and seek out a solution to your problems instead of whining about them.”

“That’s not very nice” Teddy's voice was whiny, but Severus detected the slightest hint of exasperated amusement.

“Indeed. Would you rather I be nice to you, or be helpful? As I recall, you haven’t really been responding well to Harry lately, and, say what you will about him, he’s very nice”

“I want to be alone”

“Very well. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything”


	13. A Visit to Charlie's

Severus’ knees protested wildly as he knelt down in front of the floo. _Perhaps the Muggle telly-phones weren’t such a stupid invention_, he thought. He cast a cushioning charm as Draco’s pointy face appeared in the fire. “Severus? What’s going on?”

“Is Harry alright?”

“I had assumed so, but you’re meant to be the more knowledgeable about that sort of thing. He’s not home?”

“He’s not there, then?”

“No, he’s not. Move. I’m coming through”

Settled at the table with tea, Severus explained the whole story to Draco. “Well that explains a lot.” Draco finally said, his smile half-fond, half-exasperated. “Leave it to Harry to lose his magic in the most ridiculous, blindly Gryffindor way possible.”

“Indeed. We’ll have to figure out how to give it back to him when we find him.”

“Mmm,” Draco hummed noncommittally as he brushed crumbs from his fingers. “Harry always has the best biscuits. I think the bigger issue, Severus, is how you keep fucking up in exactly the same way.”

Severus was offended. “I don’t!”

“I’d say you do. What’s your problem with his lack of magic?” Draco's voice wasn't angry, but he seemed to be intent on making a point.

Severus sighed. “You don’t understand.”

“Tell me.” Draco’s smile was kind, now.

“You didn’t see it. By the time you and Harry were friends, he’d already lost his magic. But I’ve been charged with watching over him since he was eleven years old. Harry was one of the most talented Wizards I’ve ever seen. His magic was just as powerful as Albus’, but he wielded it so perfectly. To watch Harry cast a spell was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. It’s a travesty that it’s been taken from him. It’s as big a sin as killing a unicorn. And to know that I’m the cause of it, just like I’ve been the cause of so many of his losses…it’s unconscionable, Draco.”

“You’re failing to see the bigger picture, Severus. I’ve been patient with your self-loathing routine for years, but this no longer impacts you alone. Was Harry an incredible Wizard? Certainly. But was his practice of magic so beautiful that you needed to die in order to preserve it? I don’t think so, and more importantly, it seems that Harry doesn’t think so either. He’s happy, Severus. Before you moved in, he was content. Now? His eyes are sparkling again. We have no idea what could happen if we tried to reverse this. You could die, Harry might not be able to house magic after being without for so long.” Draco regarded him with keen grey eyes. “This isn’t a Harry problem, Severus, despite your attempts to make it so. The problem lies with you. You need to make a decision. Either you can see that Harry’s life, even without his magic, is a fucking gift to anyone who knows him, or you admit you can’t, and you stop making him feel like a failure because of it.”

Severus pondered this for a few minutes, knowing that Draco was right, but so, so disinclined to admit it. Seizing an opportunity to evade that piercing stare, he frowned.  
“I’m not the only one missing the salient point here” His voice sounded defensive, even to his own ears. “Harry’s missing. I assumed he’d be going to you, but he’s been rejected by me and his Godson in one night. I’m worried.”

Draco pulled his mobile from his pocket. Pressing a few buttons, he placed the receiver to his ear. “He’s not answering. I’m sure he’s fine. We’ll find him, Severus” But Draco began to look a little worried himself. A few tense floo conversations later, and his worry hadn’t lessened. “He’s not with Molly and Arthur, and he’s not at Ron and Hermione’s.” Inspiration struck. “I think I know where he’s gone” He crouched down in front to the floo and threw some floo powder in. “Charlie Weasley!” he called.

Momentarily, Charlie Weasley’s face appeared in the flames. “Draco?”

“Hi Charlie. We’ve a missing hero. I don’t suppose you’ve seen him?”

He grinned easily. “Of course I have. He’s here.” Charlie's face, while a little scarred, and very freckled from the amount of time he spent outside, was handsome, Severus noted sourly. 

“Is he alright?”

“He will be. I have my ways of helping him find perspective when his feelings are bruised.” Was Severus imagining things, or did that sound provocative?

“Will you keep him tonight?”

“Try and stop me.”

“Behave yourself, Weasley,” Draco answered with a grin. He closed the connection, and turned back to Severus. “So now you have your answer. He’s fine.”

“I didn’t realize that he and Charles were close.” Severus said, hating how pinched his voice sounded.

Draco nodded. He and Charlie had a…fling of some sort after the War. It was good for Harry, gave him back a little of his confidence.”

Severus could barely breathe. Jealousy, hot and sour, pooled in his belly. “How nice for him.”

Draco laughed. “Calm down, loverboy. It’s not like that anymore. Charlie was good for Harry. He helped him find his way forward without magic. But they both realized that they’re better friends than lovers.”

“And the moment things get trying in his life, he runs straight back into his arms. Isn’t that sweet.” Severus said flatly.

“Don’t be such a git. Besides, I thought you didn’t want him.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well, you need to make up your mind, I suppose. At any rate, don’t panic about this. Harry’s safe, and his virtue will remain so until morning, I’m sure. You should use this time away from him to decide what you want, and whether you can accept him without his magic. Because I warn you, Severus, if you try to force him to take it back, you’ll lose him.”

Severus didn’t sleep at all that night, his thoughts haunted by the thought of Harry seeking solace in the arms of the younger, handsome Weasley. He imagined Charlie taking Harry apart, his mouth on his skin, his hands grasping tightly. He thought about Draco’s words. His Godson was right, he realized. Forcing Harry to take his magic back would destroy whatever tentative relationship they’d begun to develop. More importantly, it would destroy the hard-won self-esteem that Harry had developed as he learned to cope with his changed circumstances. It occurred to Severus that he was no different than most of the Wizarding World, trying to force Harry into being the ideal they’d created for him, rather than accepting him for who he was. 

Severus had never imagined spending his life with someone non-magical. He’d spent his childhood with a toe in both the Muggle and Magical worlds, and when he’d graduated, his choice had seemed clear. He was too self-aware to fantasize about finding someone to spend his life with, but, as a purely academic consideration, the faceless partner had always been a Wizard, someone equally powerful as him. Could he adjust his imaginings to include a partner who would never cast a spell as thoughtlessly as he did?

Giving up entirely on sleep, with his emotions roiling as they were, Severus got out of bed and descended the stairs to make a cup of tea, only to find a note on the kitchen table. It was penned in a childish hand:

_Uncle Harry_

_I haven’t been nice to you lately. I think there’s something wrong with me. I am going where I won’t treat you bad anymore. Don’t come after me._

_Teddy_

His stomach dropping, Severus rushed to the floo. Throwing the powder into the flames, he shouted “Charlie Weasley”, hearing how shaky his voice sounded. 

He felt like he waited an eternity before the tousled red head appeared in the flames. “Hullo Professor,” Charlie greeted easily.

“Charles. Is Harry there?”

“Yes, he’s sleeping.”

“Wake him please. It’s Teddy.”

Moments later, Harry appeared beside Charlie, his eyes still sleepy. “Severus? What’s wrong?”

“Harry, I don’t know how to tell you this. It seems that Teddy has run away. He’s left a note. I’m so sorry”

“I’m coming through. Charlie, help me” Severus stood back, and flames flared, through which Harry, his arm firmly grasped in Charlie's, stumbled through. “Where’s the note?”

Severus handed it to him. “I didn’t hear him leave. I didn’t sleep at all, I don’t know how he managed to leave so quietly.”

“Oh, Ted.” Harry sighed. “I’m failing him. All my life I felt like the adults in my life weren’t protecting me, and isn’t it frustrating to realize that I’m doing the same damned thing? Okay, let’s start calling. Charlie, can you check with your Mum and Dad? Severus, can you try Draco? I’m going to check with Ron and Hermione. If nothing else, that will get the Aurors involved.”


	14. Finding Teddy

They each made their respective phone calls, but came up empty. Ron and Hermione flooed through. “I’ve got the on-call Aurors starting to look. Let’s make a list of all of the places he knows” Ron was authoritative.

“He’s nearly ten, Ron. He knows a lot of places”

“It’s a start, Harry.”

The rest of the morning was a revolving door of people. They checked Andy’s cottage, Grimmauld Place, and even, when they started getting desperate, Hogwarts. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table, a ballpoint pen in hand, making a list of every place that Teddy had ever seen. One by one, someone Apparated there, checked for his magical signature, then, having had no luck, apparated back in increasing defeat and panic. 

Harry was sitting so still, as though if he moved too much or too quickly, he’d break. Severus understood the feeling. He himself was a mass of tension, terrified that they wouldn’t find Teddy. He was worried about a nine year old boy alone in the world, but, he was also worried about how Harry might react if they didn’t find him. _We’ll find him_, he told himself firmly. The alternative was unthinkable. 

“Did anyone check Bill’s?” Harry asked suddenly. Nobody had. “I think he might be there.”

“Why, Harry?” Hermione asked. 

“I dunno. He likes Bill. I always wondered if he felt drawn to him because of Bill’s Lycanthopy. I just have a feeling.”

“Then what are we waiting for, Harry? Your feelings aren’t usually wrong.” Hermione leapt to her feet, and just as quickly, fell to her knees. “Oh.” she said in a small voice.

“What ‘oh’?” Ron asked suspiciously, the voice of a man who’d had two previous children. 

“I don’t think I’ll be going with.” Hermione said tightly. “My water just broke.” 

Harry kissed her forehead soundly. “Go. Give the new one a kiss for me, I’ll be by when…I’ll be by” She and Ron bundled off through the floo to St. Mungo’s, and Charlie gave a longing look after them. “Charlie, go” Harry said. “You haven’t been here for the birth of any of them yet, and this one’s your Godchild. Go.”

“I don’t want to leave you to-“

“I’m fine. Go. The Auror’s are doing what they can. I’ll find him. I’ll bring him home. Then we’ll come and kiss the newest Weasley.” Harry's voice was only a little hollow as he hugged him and muttered “Thanks, Charlie." Then Charlie was off, leaving Harry, Draco and Severus.

“Someone needs to stay here” Harry said. “In case Teddy comes home.” his voice cracked a little when he said ‘home’, but he swallowed and continued. “I need someone to side-along me.”

Draco stood and held out his arm, but Severus interrupted. “Harry. I want to go.”

For a moment, Harry’s face tightened, and Severus thought he’d reject his request, but then he nodded. “Fine. Dray, you’ll stay?”

“Are you sure, Harry?” Draco asked, giving Severus a bit of a hard look himself.

“Yeah. I just want to find him” They left the house, and cleared the wards, and then they were travelling through the dark. Severus had only been to Shell Cottage once before, and they ended up standing on a beach, quite a distance from Bill’s house.

Severus removed his wand, muttered “Point me Teddy Lupin” and his wand twisted and pointed away from the cottage. Harry was off and running down the beach before Severus had a chance to say anything. With a sigh, Severus followed, not running as quickly as Harry, but, in his terror for Teddy’s safety, he wasn’t far behind. Harry’s feet were pounding against the sand, struggling to gain purchase and suddenly he came to a halt, one hand reaching out in entreaty.

“Teds, oh gods, my Teddy, thank Merlin you’re okay!” Harry cried.

“Don’t come here!” Teddy called. He looked impossibly little, sitting on a rock in a little cove, facing towards the sea. Severus felt his heart give a little leap. Teddy looked a little damp and rumpled, and cold, but otherwise unharmed.

“Teddy, love, please, come with me and we’ll talk. I’m so sorry that you felt so alone. I’ll make it better. I’ll do better, or we’ll let you move in with someone who’s better at taking care of you.” Harry had fallen to his knees and was pleading with the boy. “I was so worried about you.”

“Just leave me alone!” Teddy screeched, shuffling on his rock to face them, and swaying dangerously in the process. Severus' heart lurched uncomfortably. “Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Because he loves you” Severus called. “Teddy, you don’t have the family that you should have. You should have your Mum and Dad, and your Gran, and Uncle Harry coming by on weekends to fill you with sugar and take you flying. But what you have is Harry. And he loves you so much.”

“Shut up! You don’t understand anything. None of you understand anything. I’ll hurt you if you come closer” Teddy was trembling, his face twisted in anger. He was going to fall into the bloody water, Severus realized. He took a step towards the boy, and felt the unmistakable sensation of a binding hex. Falling to the sand, he thought to himself _I believe we are well and truly fucked_.

Harry regarded the boy for a long time. “Very well” he said. Severus couldn’t move his head, but through the corner of his eye, he saw Harry settle, cross-legged onto the sand.

“W-what are you doing?”

“You don’t want to come with me, you don’t want me to come closer. You’re obviously upset, so I’ll wait until you figure out what you want, and then I’ll try to give it to you” Harry said evenly.

“I want you to go!”

“Do you, Ted? I think you’ve felt alone for a while. I was a little older than you when my Godfather, the person who’d agreed to take me into his care, was killed in a battle at the Ministry. I was so angry, and I’ve never in my life felt so alone. I imagine you feel a lot like that. The person who’s supposed to keep you safe…well, I can’t, can I? That’s got to feel pretty scary. And you’ve lost so much, so many of the people who ought to be here to love you. The night that Sirius died, I got really angry, and I wrecked Dumbledore’s office. And he fed me a lemondrop, the barmy old bastard, and sent me off to my bed. And I sat there, feeling so alone, just wanting someone there to try to understand me.” Harry gave Teddy the most loving smile. “I don’t presume to know what you want, Teds, but I love you so much, that I’m happy to sit here with you until you figure it out.”

They sat there for a long time, until the tide started to come in. The waves lapped at Harry’s pantsleg, and still he sat, quiet, shivering a little as the wind blew cold. Teddy didn’t say a word, but he was watching the waves, and watching Harry. “You’re getting wet” he finally said. Harry nodded. “You look cold” Teddy said, after a few more moments. 

“A little.”

“Why don’t you get up and move?”

“Because you’re still here. I won’t leave you.”

“Don’t be stupid, Harry, get up.” Teddy said in irritation. The waves were covering both of Harry's legs now.

“You first” Harry said. A younger Harry might have said that sentence mockingly, or with the cocksure certainty of someone who knew that the other would blink first. This Harry had none of that in his tone. 

“I don’t want you to drown.”

“I know that. I think you’re tired, and cold, and you’d like someone to help you figure out why you’re so angry all the time. I can be that someone, if you like. But it’s your choice, Teddy. I’ll sit here until the waves cover my head, if that’s what it takes to prove to you that I’m going to be here for you. I don’t have magic anymore, and I know that scares you, and makes you think that I’m not able to take care of you properly. But here’s the thing…All of the things that I did when I was in school? None of those were because I was a powerful Wizard, or because I was smarter than anybody else. I accomplished things because I cared. I cared about protecting people, and I cared about making people safe, and I cared about making a world that was worth living in, for the people that I loved. And there’s nobody in the whole world that I love more than you. If I could defeat Voldemort, when he was older, and smarter, and more powerful than me, I believe that I can convince you that I’ll keep you safe.” Harry gave Teddy a beatific smile as the waves lapped higher and Teddy considered this.

And then suddenly, with a sob, Teddy threw himself off his rock, and sloshed through the rising waves, and he was in Harry’s lap, arms thrown around his Godfather. “Help me,” he wept. “Help me, Harry”

“Of course” Harry said, placing a kiss on Teddy’s forehead. “Well done, sweetheart, you’ve been so brave.”

They were a ridiculous trio, heading back to Bill and Fleur’s. Teddy couldn’t figure out how to undo the spell that petrified Severus, and so Harry picked him up and carried him awkwardly in his arms. Teddy was hanging from Harry, still sniffling, while Harry murmured comforting things to the boy. As they finally approached Shell Cottage, Severus was mortified. Bill came running out of the door. “What’s happened?” he cried, frightened.

“We’re all fine.” Harry assured them. “Can you cast finite on Severus, Bill?” Bill complied, and Severus’ frozen muscles relaxed. Harry set him down, but not before nuzzling at Severus’ neck a little, and if Harry didn’t realize that they were going to discuss that later on, then he wasn’t as smart as Severus thought he was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****
> 
> Oh guys, I'm loooving your comments, thank you so much for reading along with me. There are only 3 more chapters after this one. We're in the homeward stretch! 
> 
> Also, I'm still new to using AO3, so I hadn't tagged the story before this point. I hope that doesn't offend anyone or ruin the experience for you, but I sort of like the idea of nobody knowing how it's all going to come out. I will say that I'm a sucker for satisfying endings, though...
> 
> -Peach  
PS - I know the point-me spell only points 'north', but do you really want to read 'Severus and Harry wander a beach for a long time'? Let's just pretend it's a very short range spell.  
***


	15. St. Mungo's

They flooed to Mungo’s, the three of them, after a hastily composed call to Draco to let him know that Teddy was safe. Hermione was still in labour, and Harry swooped through the hall long enough to kiss each Weasley, man and woman alike, before clasping Teddy by the hand. “Come” he said gently. “Let’s figure out what’s going on”

They started to walk down the hall, and suddenly, Harry turned. “Sev? Aren’t you coming?”

Severus, who’d begun to question his welcome at the family affair, nodded and hastened to catch up. “Where, exactly, are we going?”

“Well, I’ve been wondering something for a while. Teddy’s been so angry lately, which is understandable, given the level of upset he's had in his life. I just think he's a little more angsty than most kids would be.” Harry said thoughtfully. “You’ve had a hard year, pup, but I'd swear there’s something else going on. I have a theory, but I think we need a healer to help us figure it out” Teddy nodded; either he was simply too exhausted to fuss, or the events on the beach had convinced him to trust Harry.

They made their way to the Magical Creatures ward. The Welcome Witch at Reception squawked a little at their lack of appointment, but a few charming ‘Saviour of the World’ smiles and some gentle persuasion later, Teddy was sitting on a bed, wearing a hospital robe. Severus and Harry perched uneasily on chairs next to his bed. After some time, an exhausted looking Healer pulled the curtain back. “Mister..oh! Mister Potter. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He seemed surprised by the figures surrounding the small boy on the bed. “And you are?” he looked questioningly at Severus.

“He’s family” Harry said simply. “We need you to look at my Godson. His dad was a werewolf, turned as a child, and Teddy’s never shown any signs of Lycanthropy, but as he reaches adolescence, I just want you to check”

“What’s your name, young man?”

“Ted Lupin” Teddy seemed uncertain again, and Harry squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Very well, Mister Lupin. I’d like to run a simple diagnostic scan, if you wouldn't mind.”

“I guess. Actually, wait a sec. Harry, do you really think I’m…” Teddy made his hands into claws, his own little shorthand for Lycanthropy.

“I’m not sure, kiddo, but if you are it would explain a lot. Plus, we’d be able to help you stabilize your moods a little.”

“I guess I have no choice.”

“Ted. You don't always have a choice, that's true, but in this case you absolutely do. If you'd rather not do this, we can go straight home. You smell a little like a fishing boat, so I'm sure you'd like a shower.” Harry's smile was so fond that Severus felt an uncomfortable prickle in his throat. Harry was just so _good_.

Teddy thought for a moment before he finally sighed. “Alright.”

The Healer waved his wand over Teddy, and he was immediately suffused in warm light. It was blue in some places, golden in others, around a brilliant white centre. Harry looked awed. "Is that Teddy's magic?" he breathed, eyes wide. 

The Healer nodded, then said, “That’s interesting."

“What is?” Teddy demanded suspiciously. 

“Well, you’re not a werewolf, exactly.”

“Oh.” Severus couldn't tell if Teddy was relieved or disappointed.

“But you absolutely have a faint signature of Lycanthropy. I'm quite certain that you’ll never transform, but the increased aggression is absolutely these traits coming to the forefront as you mature. What’s interesting, though, is that you’re also a Metamorphogus.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“Well, it’s just that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone before with such a unique mixture of traits. You’re going to be an exceptionally powerful Wizard, young man.”

Harry beamed. “Is there anything I can do to help him as he matures? I want to make things better, easier for him. Also, because I don’t have magic, myself, I want to help him learn to control _his_.”

“Hogwarts will help with that.”

“It’s going to be a long year, I suppose.” Harry grinned at Teddy, and ruffled his hair. Teddy gave his Godfather a tentative smile.

“And of course,” the Healer continued cheerfully, “the potion I’ll prescribe will certainly help keep his emotions in check.”

“I’m not sure,” Harry said thoughtfully. “I don’t want Teddy to change, he’s lovely just as he is. What will this potion do?”

“It’s a very mild form of wolfsbane. You see,” the Healer was warming up to his topic. Severus listened with avid interest. “right now, Teddy is going through adolescence, which, in any child can be difficult. When combined with any tendencies towards Lycanthropy, Teddy’s ‘inner wolf’ will be struggling for dominance. If left unchecked, you’ll have a very unreasonable housemate by the time he’s sixteen, and he’ll suffer immeasurably during the moon. This potion won’t change who he is. Rather, it will allow his human side to gain dominance over his wolf side. By the time he’s an adult, he won’t need the potion at all. His wolf traits will still exist, but he’ll have learned to master them, rather than the reverse”

“Will Teddy need to register with the Ministry?”

“Oh no no!” The Healer laughed. “He’s not a werewolf, Mister Potter. He’s just more aware of his primal nature than most boys his age.”

“Teds, it’s up to you. Do you want to take the potion? I love you no matter what, and if you decide not to, we'll be fine.”

“I do. I hate feeling so unreasonable all the time.” Teddy looked relieved, but determined.

“That’s settled, then. I’ll have the apothecary send some up, and get you on a regular owl delivery schedule for his daily dose.” The Healer smiled, happy to have figured things out.

“That won’t be necessary,” Severus said. “I’ll be brewing for Teddy after today.”

Harry looked at Severus gratefully. “You’d do that for us?”

“Of course.” Severus smiled at Harry, whose eyes widened for a moment.

“Perfect." Harry said when the potion was dutifully drunk, Teddy giving a theatrical shudder as he did so. Severus vowed to find a way to make it more palatable. "Well, if you’ll excuse us, we have a new baby to meet.” Harry’s eyes were dancing, the newest Weasley now occupying his attention.

“It’s a boy!” Ron’s face was alight with happiness as he exited the delivery room. The crowd of people awaiting the new baby exclaimed in delight. The little bundle in his arms was swaddled in a bright blue blanket, and a shock of Weasley-red hair was visible. “Charlie, Gin, come meet your godson.” The baby was passed to his older and younger siblings respectively, and Harry made his way across the room to Ron. 

“Congratulations, Dad. How’s ‘Mione?” 

“Glowing. Perfect. I’m-" Ron broke off, tears appearing for a moment in his eyes before he bashfully swiped them away.

“I know,” Harry said, hugging his oldest friend tightly. “Can I go see her?”

“In a minute, don’t you want to meet the newest member of the Harry Potter fan club first?”

Harry rolled his eyes, but obediently followed Ron to where the baby was being snuggled by Draco. “Weasley, well done. A blessing on your home and progeny.”

Ron grinned at the Pureblood blessing and bowed his head in response. “When are you and Astoria going to have another little blondie for this one to make fun of?”

Draco’s sudden grin was pleased and a little coy, and Harry exclaimed in delight. “We’re not far from a Quidditch team, lads! Keep up the good work! Now let me see that baby!” He took him from Draco’s arms and nuzzled a perfect, pink cheek. “Hello little one. I’m the fun uncle.”

“Hey!” George protested. “I own a bleeding toy store, mate. I’m the fun uncle!”

“He’s mad, don't listen to him,” Harry said conspiratorially to the baby. “What’s his name, Ron?”

“We were thinking Frederick Harrison.” Ron said, his eyes on Harry’s. 

With a pleased little smile, Harry passed the baby along to Severus, who stiffened instinctively. “Sev, meet the newest little troublemaker.”

“I-“ Whatever Severus had intended to say was lost as he looked into the blue eyes of the newborn. “Hello,” he said to the baby. “If you’re like either of your namesakes, I’m glad that I’m no longer a teacher.” Ron laughed. “Congratulations, Ron. He’s lovely”

“Thank you Severus.” Ron gave him a genuine smile. 

Just then, Ron's parents appeared, and caught up their youngest son in tight hugs and exclamations. Severus surrendered the little bundle to his Grandparents.

Teddy was watching the whole exchange bemusedly. “They’re baby-mad, this family,” he said conversationally to Severus. “I don’t get the appeal, myself.”

“It’s the smell of their heads,” Severus confessed. “Once you smell a baby’s head, you’ll never pass up a cuddle again.”

“That’s weird”. Teddy proclaimed. Severus shrugged, and watched the family play pass-the-baby. He marvelled that, six months ago, other than Draco, he wouldn’t have fancied being in a room with any of these people. He’d changed, he realized. Harry had changed him.

Harry himself had just exited the room that Hermione was in, his eyes bright with tears. “It’s been a hell of a day,” he said. “but it’s ended much more nicely than it began. Come on, my two. Let’s go home”

_My two. Home_. Severus looked up, taking measure of the affectionate gaze, confirming that he were included in one of Harry’s two. It appeared that he was, because Harry reached a hand toward him. “Shall we apparate?”

Severus nodded, the prospect of Harry pressed tightly against him an appealing one, even if it also came with the prospect of a small child, still a little damp from the sea, and carrying the distinctive funk of unwashed boy. As they reached the apparation point, Harry swayed a little. “Tired” he said briefly, before tucking his arm into Severus’. They apparated to the little cottage. Teddy looked exhausted. “Teds? Why don’t you shower and get to bed?” Harry’s suggestion was mild, as though he feared that Teddy would explode at him. The potion seemed to already be doing its job, or maybe Teddy was as exhausted as Harry looked, because he simply nodded and climbed the stairs.

Not long after, they heard the shower go, and then, with a called, “‘Night!”, Teddy’s door closed.

“Would you like a drink?” Harry’s voice sounded a bit hollow.

“Yes, but aren’t you too tired?”

“I’m fucking exhausted,” Harry said. “But after a day like today, I won’t sleep properly.”

“You still dream?”

“Every night,” Harry said. “Draco has cast the privacy wards on my room. He renews them every so often, otherwise I expect that you’d have heard me.” He gave a depreciating little shrug.

“That sounds ghastly.”

“Yes, that’s about right. It makes me a rather unappealing sleeping partner.” Harry’s smile was rueful. “It’s not the dreams, though. On a night like this, when happy, and heartbreaking, and terrifying things have happened, I lie awake and think about things.” He moved over to the sideboard and poured a generous helping of whiskey for each of them. “I’m sorry it’s not Firewhiskey. Did you know that it tastes different when you don’t have magic?”

“Harry…”

“No, don’t, Sev. I have no desire to talk through decisions made years ago, or things said days ago. I’ve told you that I’m not undoing it. Honestly, the last thing I want to do is argue with you.”

Exhaustion and misery made Severus brave. “What’s the first thing you want to do?”

Harry laughed. “I’ve never thought about it.”

“Do.”

This time, the smile was enigmatic. “I suppose I’d like to sit here on the sofa with you, and speak gently to one another, with no recriminations or upset.”

“Very well.” They settled next to one another on the sofa, sipping their whiskey in silence. “You did so very well today,” Severus said finally.

“I was frightened. It was the first time, since all this has happened, that I wondered if I’d made a mistake. I know it’s been awful, me without magic, and people having to care for me, but I’ve never questioned it, not a single time. Until today, when I thought that Teddy might be hurt because of my stupidity.”

“I’d say that the boy who ran away was showing the stupidity.”

“Which one of us ended up at Charlie’s last night?”

Severus extended his hands in a somewhat placating gesture. He didn’t want to talk about Charlie Weasley. “You’ve truly never regretted it?”

“No, not for a moment.”

“I don’t understand that.”

“You don’t understand why I wanted to save someone’s life?”

“Not ‘someone’s’”

“You want to know why I saved _your_ life?”

“Yes.”

“You’re very clever, Severus. I’m surprised that you can’t figure this out.”

“I’d rather you tell me.”

Harry laughed again. “Always the Slytherin, aren’t you? Very well, if you want to make me say it…I saved your life, Severus Snape, because the thought of a world without you in it is inconceivable to me.”

“And why did you never say anything? This whole time, you never even suggested that I have you to thank for my very life.”

“It wasn’t a gift for you, not exactly.”

“Who then?”

“Severus, you’re not the sort of man to need things spelled out for you. Are you fishing for compliments?”

“No,” Severus replied. “Not exactly.” He took a shaky breath. “Rather, I do not wish to misunderstand this. It is important to me to hear the truth exactly.”

Harry looked up at Severus. His eyes still seemed impossibly green. Severus wondered how he could ever have thought of them as Lily’s eyes. “I wasn’t so foolish to dream that I could have you for myself. There is too much history between us. I truly didn’t believe that you would ever see me other than the brash child who dared too much. But, this way I knew that you existed. You went on.”

“And what would you want, if you could have your deepest desire?” Severus couldn’t breathe. 

His looked down, his lashes dark on his cheeks. Mustering some bravery, he met Severus’ gaze. “I’d like for you to kiss me”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So friends...Two more chappies after this one. 
> 
> On an unrelated note, I'm working on a new Harrymort story that's proving a bit of a beast, so I'm considering a beta, if anyone were interested. I've never used a beta before, but I'm looking for help with characterization and some specifically political aspects of this story. I prolly don't need much help with grammar and spelling, but if you'd like a sneak peek of a new story and want to help with some editorial stuff, lemme know.


	16. A room filled with light and a night without dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys! Slash warning ahead! From the sounds of things, you've been impatiently waiting for this bit all the way through, so I can't imagine anyone will be shocked, but here's your forewarning.
> 
> On a separate note, I'm leaving for a month in the Philippines on Wednesday, so I'll be aiming to have the last chapter posted by then.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and thanks for the comments and kudos.
> 
> ***

As Severus lowered his mouth to Harry’s, the sensation of soft lips against his made him gasp. Harry’s lips were firm. His tongue stole out to trace the outline of Severus’ lips, and as they parted, Harry’s tongue snaked against Severus’, exploring his mouth. The kiss was slow, and gentle, and asked a million shy questions, which Severus tried his best to answer. His hand stole into the unruly little curls at the top of Harry’s neck. Harry’s hands came to Severus’ chest, splayed out in silent appeal. As Severus sucked on Harry’s tongue, a low throaty groan escaped him. His arms encircled the smaller man, and pulled him closer. Harry’s hand stole underneath his jumper, traced the scars that lined Severus’ chest, lightly traced a nipple.

Pausing to take a breath that was more sob, Harry finally said “Severus.” It was the most beautiful sound Severus had ever heard. Severus had never heard anyone say his name before with such gentleness, such reverence. 

“What do you want, Harry?” Severus’ voice was deep, honey-filled, dripping with desire and love and anticipation.

Harry sat quietly, his eyes bright, a flush on his cheeks. He removed his hands from Severus’ chest, rested them in his lap. He fidgeted with the hem of his jumper. Finally he said “I’m afraid to ask for what I want. I’ve never been so afraid of being rejected.”

Severus chuckled. “Where’s that Gryffindor bravery, Harry? I’ve never known you to be anything other than single-minded in pursuing what you want”

“The stakes are too high. Too much to lose.”

“Do you trust me?” It all came down to one fundamental question, didn’t it? Did Harry trust Severus to value the gift of his heart? Was Severus able to see the man behind the fables, and the expectations, and the failures?

Harry continued watching Severus evenly. His kiss-reddened lips parted. “I trust you with my life.”

“And what of your heart? Your soul?”

“They’ve always been yours.”

“Truly?” Severus heard the insecurity in his own voice.

“Yes. Ever since I found a battered old textbook in Slughorn’s potions cabinet.”

“Then trust me enough to tell me what you want, Harry.”

“I want you,” his voice was quiet, steadfast. His hands were knotted in his lap, and he rubbed the square thumb of his right across a set of scars on his left. “I want every part of you, and I want you to want me back. I want to share morning coffee with you, and I want your eyes to be the ones I look into every night. I want your future, Severus.”

“You only needed to ask.”

Harry took a deep breath, as though summoning his courage. “Do you mean that? That you might someday…” his resolve faltered but he squared his shoulders. “That you might someday care for me? Because I don’t know if I could bear it if this were just about sex for you. Or some sort of obligation, or something. I only-"

“Harry” Severus took one of Harry’s hands, raised it to his lips. “I care about you.” Summoning his own bravery, he mumbled into Harry’s knuckles “I love you.”

A couple of huge tears welled up in Harry’s eyes and slid slowly down his cheeks. “It’s better than I ever dreamed,” he whispered.

“What is?”

“Being loved. Severus.”

“Yes, Harry?”

“Could I ask for something else?” 

“Anything.”

“Would you take me to bed?” Harry’s eyes were vibrant, and he looked at Severus intensely. It seemed to take them an inordinate amount of time to reach Harry’s bedroom, since they had to stop periodically to lean against a wall and kiss. In the hallway, Harry’s arms twined around his back, stealing under his sweater and stroking the skin there. As Severus nibbled Harry’s earlobe, his breath coming fast and hard on Harry’s neck, Harry’s nails dug into his back for a moment. With a growl, Severus scooped Harry up and crossed the remaining distance to the doorway. Once inside, he cast a number of silencing charms, and placed Harry gently on the bed.

He looked beautiful laying there on his back. His messy hair was tousled and his eyes glowed brightly. His lips were red and swollen, and curved into a shy smile. “What do you want?” Severus whispered into his ear, causing Harry to shiver.

“I want,” Harry said “for you to take my clothes off, and I want you to touch me. I want to feel you inside me.”

“Yes,” breathed Severus. He positioned himself over the lithe form and pressed his lips to Harry’s. Harry groaned, opening his lips to receive Severus’ tongue. The friction went straight to Severus’ groin and for a delicious moment, he ground his erection into Harry’s, before the younger man’s hands were pulling ineffectually at his jumper. Parting their lips, Severus made short work of Harry’s and his own jumpers, trying not to come from the sound of the delicious whimpers coming from Harry as he mourned the loss of Severus’ kisses. Fortunately, Harry regained enough presence of mind to fumble at Severus’ trouser fastenings, while Severus reciprocated, unzipping Harry’s jeans. _Merlin, he’s not wearing pants underneath_, Severus thought to himself, as Harry’s hard cock strained free of its denim confines. Gently, Severus pulled at Harry’s jeans, peeling the tight fabric from Harry’s hard thighs. Severus’ own trousers followed, as well as his smalls, and before he knew it, his senses were overloading at the feeling of his skin against Harry’s.

Harry was nearly hairless, just a bit under his arms, and a delightful strip that led down to his cock, which was also surrounded by a nest of soft curls. “You’re lovely” Severus said. Harry blushed so beautifully that Severus couldn’t resist licking his cheek, to see if he tasted anywhere near as good as he looked. Severus’ questing mouth continued its exploration, peppering soft, wet kisses on Harry’s clefted chin, sucking a delightful little bruise onto his neck. He paid particular attention to Harry’s collarbone, which, if the sounds he were making were any indication, Harry quite approved of. Spying a dark nipple, Severus took the little nub into his mouth, nibbling and sucking, raising a cry from Harry when he nipped hard, before he laved the sensitive nipple with his tongue and moved to give similar treatment to the other one. 

Harry’s hips were bucking, trying to increase the friction between their cocks, and Severus angled his own hips away. “Patience, my Harry,” he said softly. “Let me love you, every part of you. We have time.”

“I need you. I need you to touch me, touch my cock.” Harry’s voice had deepened and his eyes were glazed. With a smile, Severus returned to his exploration of Harry’s body, pausing for a moment to plunge his tongue into his navel. The resultant gasp made him chuckle, and he continued lower, pausing only to bite gently at the vee of his torso. Harry’s cock was beautiful, long, thick, dripping pre-come down its shaft. Severus lapped at the slit, tasting Harry’s spilling moisture, before licking down the vein that ran up the underside of his shaft. Harry whimpered. “Mm, yes, Sev, please that feels so good.”

As he laved the head of Harry’s cock, tasting his essence and swirling his tongue around the sensitive head, Severus’ hand stole down to cup Harry’s balls, heavy and full, before pressing his finger against the sensitive skin between his balls and his hole. He engulfed Harry’s cock with his mouth and a strangled cry erupted from Harry’s mouth. Opening his throat and sucking hard, Severus wordlessly conjured lube and with his now-oily fingers, circled Harry’s hole. “Please, Sev,” Harry begged brokenly. As his first finger breached the tight muscle, he felt Harry jerk, and the head of his cock went further down Severus’ throat. Harry’s orgasm came without warning, and Severus swallowed his seed, licking the sensitive head of Harry’s cock.

Another finger followed the first, and brushed against Harry’s prostate. The tight muscles relaxed and Severus scissored and stretched, preparing him to take his cock. A third finger, and Harry was fucking himself against Severus’ hand. “I can’t wait, please fuck me” Harry begged. A pillow was summoned and arranged underneath him.

The sensation of breaching Harry’s tight muscles with his cock nearly made Severus come. He took a deep breath and stilled, waiting for Harry to relax and desperately thinking unsexy thoughts to delay his impending orgasm. Finally, Harry’s hands came up to either sides of his face. He stroked Severus’ cheek. Severus leaned down to kiss Harry, their tongues languidly stroking together. “Move, Severus, please.” 

As he withdrew and snapped his hips forward, burying his cock into Harry’s tight channel, Severus wondered if sex had ever been more perfect. It was as if Harry had been made for him. He changed the angle, hit Harry’s prostate, prompting another strangled cry. Severus couldn’t slow down if he wanted to now, and he fucked Harry desperately, seeking release. A tightening in his belly, his balls, and Severus poured his seed into Harry’s hot passage. Severus cried out, and so did Harry as he came again, all over his chest and Severus’.

Consumed by passion, neither man noticed the bright burst of light that filled the room as they both reached release. Casting a weary scourgify, Severus wrapped his arms around Harry’s drowsy frame and succumbed to sleep.


	17. Going on

Severus woke to find a pair of sleepy green eyes regarding him. He blinked and felt his lips curving into a smile as Harry moved closer and kissed him gently. “Thank you,” Harry whispered.

“For what?” Severus voice was sleep-rough, and he propped his head up on his palm.

“For loving me last night. I was terrified to open my eyes in case you’d changed your mind while I slept and left me here alone.” Harry’s forehead wrinkled. “You haven’t, have you? Changed your mind?”

Severus laughed. “Of course not, you dolt. Even if you do wriggle too much in your sleep. And steal the covers.”

“Good.” Harry breathed a happy sigh and stretched out. “I wonder where my glasses are.”

“Accio Harry’s glasses,” Severus said lazily, and they zoomed into his outstretched hand. He placed them onto Harry’s face, and those vibrant eyes blinked at him a few times before a brilliant smile lit his features. As Harry stretched his hand to caress Severus’ cheek, Severus suddenly caught his wrist. “What’s that?”

On Harry’s ring finger, a deep green mark covered his skin. It looked like a tattoo. Fuck. It looked like a bondmark. With a sense of growing unease, Severus raised his own left hand and examined it carefully. Sure enough, a similar band of green surrounded his own ring finger.

“Well, that’s new,” Harry remarked. He seemed bemused, but not especially upset.

“New...Harry. I think it’s a bondmark.” A quick shake of Harry’s head indicated his lack of familiarity with the term. Severus sighed. Hogwarts _really_ needed to do a better job at educating Muggle-raised Witches and Wizards. “Have you ever heard the term ‘soulmate’?”

“Sure, but I thought that was a Muggle superstition thing. Aunt Petunia used to watch these crappy daytime dramas, and they were always rabbiting away about it.”

“In the Wizarding world,” Severus answered, slipping into teacher-mode, “Soulmates are discussed often, but there’s next to no documented information. If they do exist, they’re an extremely rare occurrence. The general idea is that, when two souls find their perfect match, they create an irrevocable bond. It manifests itself in some type of a permanent mark on the body.”

“Wicked!” Harry said cheerfully.

“Quite,” Severus replied dryly. 

“So we’re what…married now?”

“I'm not certain. For all I know, we may as well be,” Severus admitted “Soul bonds are are said to be permanent. They make it such that neither of us could ever be unfaithful, and, when one of us dies, the other will too.”

“That’s nice,” Harry said, snuggling into Severus’ side.

“Nice? That’s a fairly unremarkable reaction, Harry.”

“It’s a good thing that this didn’t happen while Voldemort were still alive. You’d have had a target on your back.”

“That’s true. But Harry, you’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset? I’ve just spent the night with the person I love, we had amazing sex, and this,” Harry waggled his newly adorned finger, “suggests I’ll get to do so again. To me there’s no downside.”

“But you don’t resent this decision being made without your choosing it?”

Harry laughed. “Obviously I did choose it, though. Severus, I don’t give myself to someone else lightly. If I didn’t intend to be with you, I never would have made love to you” His face fell. “Oh. It bothers you, though, doesn’t it?”

Severus could see Harry’s face shuttering, as he tried to close himself off in order to prevent being hurt further. “Harry, stop. You’re coming to entirely the wrong conclusion. You’re correct that I was surprised by the bond, but please don’t think that it has upset me. There’s no one else I’d rather have this connection with. I just worry about you. You’re still very young, and you’ve had so many choices taken from you in your life. I didn’t know how you might react to knowing that another life-changing decision had been made without your intent.”

A hopeful face turned up to look at his. “So you do want me?” Harry’s voice was quiet, and Severus could hear the lonely child who’d never been shown any affection. 

“Yes, Harry. I want you.” Harry’s arms encircled him in a fierce hug. He was trembling, and mumbling something. As Severus leaned his ear closer he could hear ‘never thought’ and ‘always wanted’. Severus kissed Harry’s forehead. “Should we get up and see how Teddy feels this morning?”

“Oh Merlin, I can only imagine what his reaction to this might be.” Harry muttered. “He’ll probably accuse you of slumming, Sev.”

“Come now, we need to give him another chance. His recent behaviour is, if nothing else, a testament to how much he trusts you.”

“How so?” Harry was struggling into a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt. Severus noted that he hadn’t put on any underwear and bid his cock to ignore that tantalizing piece of information for now.

“Teddy has been feeling irrational anger for some time, and has likely been confused and upset by it. But, you’ll notice that it wasn’t really directed at anyone other than you. It shows that he feels safe, that he knows you’ll continue loving him even if he gets angry with you. Even when he hexed Victoire, it was because she’d said something about you that hurt his feelings. It shows how much he loves you, Harry.”

“I’d never thought about it that way. My boyfriend sure is smart!” Harry shot him a heart wrenching grin.

“You’ll cease calling me by that insipid term from here forward,” Severus said crankily. “We’re not fourteen year old girls.”

“What should I call you, then? My lurrrr-ver?” Harry purred.

“It’s more accurate, but perhaps you might call me your bondmate. Or your husband.”

“So we’re married? Like for real?”

“It would seem so. I imagine something like this would be automatically registered with the Ministry.”

“That’s good, although Witch Weekly is likely to have a field day. They’ve largely ignored me since I lost my magic, but something tells me this story is too good to be true. I suppose we’d better let the family know.”

Severus’ blood chilled. “Does this mean that Molly Weasley is my mother-in-law?”

“I hope you like itchy sweaters,” Harry laughed as he left the room and went downstairs.

Teddy was already at the table when Harry and Severus entered the kitchen. Lucy gave an excited hoot at the sight of Harry and hopped over. Harry laughed, and stroked her head. She gave his fingers an affectionate nibble and then hopped over to Severus, who eyed her warily.

The bird tilted her head and gave him a long appraising look. Severus resigned himself to the hissing and pecking that would inevitably follow. To his surprise, the bird merely nudged him with a beak, and accepted his tentative stroking.

“Lucy’s in a good mood this morning,” Teddy announced.

“And how about Teddy?” Harry asked, running his hands through his Godson’s hair.

“Teddy feels good too,” the boy laughed. “I think the potions are helping. I don’t want to scream at anyone.”

“That’s great news, Teddy. I’ll take advantage of your good mood to share some other news that we have.” Harry drew a deep breath. The boy looked interested, smiling at his Godfather’s discomfort. “Severus and I are…together now.”

Teddy tilted his head in confusion, looking a great deal like the owl had when taking Severus’ measure a few moments ago. “Cool.” Teddy looked at Severus archly. “Does this mean you’re my step-Godfather?”

Severus smiled. “I suppose it does, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course. Family is who we pick, right Uncle Harry?”

Harry nodded, his eyes suspiciously bright. “You’re not upset?”

“Upset? That the world’s greatest potions Master is now my other dad?” Teddy snorted. “I’m going to kick so much ass at Hogwarts!”

“Language,” Severus tutted. Teddy merely rolled his eyes.

“Oh, there’s tea!” Harry said happily. A teapot and two cups floated lazily over to the table.

“Thanks, Ted.” As Harry poured a cup each for himself and Severus, he noted that his bondmate was staring at Teddy in shock.

“Teddy, how long have you been performing non-verbal summoning incantations?” Severus asked.

Teddy looked at him in surprise. “Huh? I haven’t.”

“So how did the teapot end up on the table?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t even thinking about tea.”

Harry looked at Severus in surprise. “So you didn’t summon it?”

“No, I was about to, but hadn’t yet.”

“Teddy, try again. See if you can get me a glass” Teddy concentrated, but the cupboard doors stayed firmly closed. 

“We’ll have to watch that, Teddy. You’re amazingly powerful,” Severus warned. Something didn’t feel right about the occurrence. Spontaneous magic did occur in children, but usually only in circumstances when their emotions were high. Severus had never heard of such a casual display of power in someone so young. Unless…perhaps Teddy weren’t as comfortable with his and Harry’s bonding as he’d let on.

Feeling only a small amount of compunction at the invasion of the child’s privacy, Severus quietly stole into Teddy’s mind. _The thoughts were as chaotic and disorganized as his Godfather’s had been_, he thought to himself. Methodically, Severus picked through the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions until he came to Teddy’s feelings about himself and Harry. Surprisingly, there was no hesitation. The boy was pleased that Harry had found someone to love, and excited that Severus was part of his family.

Although he was glad that the boy was supportive of their relationship, his burgeoning magical abilities filled Severus with dread. With his volatile cocktail of emotions, Teddy could inadvertently become a danger to himself or others. And Harry…with his inability to shield himself, he was especially at risk.

“Harry, I believe that we should apply for Teddy to get a wand earlier than usual”

“Why, Sev?” Harry was crouching on the floor, throwing a tiny ball for Lucy, who hopped madly around the kitchen trying to catch it. 

“If he’s able to perform such precise spells without an incantation, and without a wand, so casually, I think it’s in our best interest to channel his abilities.”

“What’s involved in such an application?”

“He’d just need to attend an appointment at the Ministry and have his magical core scanned. It isn’t painful or dangerous.”

“Ted, would you like to get your wand now, instead of waiting until you’re eleven?” Harry asked.

“Of course. Then I could help out at the shop!” Teddy had long harboured a desire to join his Uncle George in his joke shop. George had told him that when he got his wand, he’d be allowed to help out during holidays.

Just then, Lucy, careening after the ball, lost her balance and slid towards the cabinets. To Severus’ amazement, her progress halted abruptly, and she slid to a stop well clear of the hazard. “Teddy!” Harry gasped in amazement. “You did it again!”

“What? No I didn’t! I didn’t do anything!” Teddy looked up from the book he’d been reading.

“You cast _arresto_ on Lucy!”

“I didn’t, Uncle Harry. I wasn’t even watching her.”

“Sev, did you?”

“Of course not. I have my hands full keeping an eye on you, let alone paying attention to your menace of a bird.”

“Well someone did! She was skidding right towards that cabinet. And then she stopped.”

Severus though for a moment. He conjured a feather and placed it in front of Harry. “Try to levitate this,” he instructed.

Harry’s face darkened. “Sev, that’s not funny. I don’t think you’re allowed to make fun of me now that we’re together.”

“Just humour me, please?”

“This is cruel, even for you,” Harry grumbled, but he concentrated on the feather. As it rose, tottering, from the ground, Harry gasped. “Sev, what’s happening?”

“Harry, I think you have your magic back.”

“Oh Merlin, Sev. Did I take it away from you?” Harry’s eyes were filled with anguish. 

“Idiot, I just conjured that feather. I’m fine.” Severus’ eyes were warm. Harry’s first concern had been for Severus. He hadn’t considered the implications of having his magic back, rather, was just fearful that Severus had been robbed of his own. Unable to help himself, the taciturn man kissed Harry deeply.

“Gross,” Teddy remarked. “Stop that, there are impressionable children present!”

“Git.” Harry smiled. “Sev, what does this mean?”

“Honestly, Harry, I have no idea. I think we need someone who understands soulbonds a bit better than we do.”

“Draco,” Harry said definitively. He grabbed his mobile and dialed. “Dray, can you come over?” he asked presently. “We need to take advantage of that Pureblood upbringing of yours.”

As he hung up, Harry’s eyes suddenly widened. Without another word, he leapt to his feet and tore from his room. Severus heard the sound of a heavy trunk being dragged across the floor and soon, Harry came thundering back down the stairs, carrying a slim box. He settled himself at the table and, with a breath, opened the box and reverently removed a silk-wrapped bundle. He gave Severus a sheepish smile. “I couldn’t bear to get rid of it,” he said, unwrapping his eleven inch Holly wand. “Hello, old friend,” he whispered gently to the wand, before giving it a tentative wave. His face lit up as green and silver sparks shot from the end.

Draco arrived through the floo in minutes, and entered the kitchen with not a little apprehension. “Never a dull moment, here. What’s wrong now?” he asked. Just then, he stopped short and looked from Harry to Severus and back again. “You’re shagging!” he accused. Harry’s blush was brilliant and beautiful.

“Not currently!” Harry protested weakly with a gesture around the kitchen. Draco’s eagle-eyes spotted the mark on his hand, and in a flash was across the kitchen and examining it more closely.

“You’re soulmates?”

Harry gave a little shrug. “Not so far-fetched, really. Would you believe me though, if I told you that wasn’t the weirdest thing that’s happened today?”

“Uncle Severus?” Draco took a close look at his Godfather. “This is a big change. How are you feeling?”

Severus considered the possibly snarky responses, and, in a rare show of confidence, settled on the truth. “Complete,” he said simply. Harry’s eyes were warm, and Draco gave him a genuine smile, with no trace of his usual smirk.

“My congratulations on your bonding. May you never be asunder,” he said, with a little bow, offering the traditional Pureblood blessing. Severus inclined his head graciously. 

“Draco, you’re so smooth,” Harry laughed. “You always know the right way to behave, don’t you?”

“Centuries of breeding, Potter,” Draco’s grin was warm. “So if your bonding isn’t the topic at-hand, what else has happened?”

“This,” Harry grinned, waving his wand and conjuring _oppugno_. A flock of tiny yellow birds flew across the kitchen and dive-bombed Draco’s head.

“Potter, what the fuck, cut it out!” Draco cried, banishing the birds in annoyance. “You’re such a child-" His insults were abruptly cut short as he realized what had happened. “Harry. You’ve your magic again?”

“It seems so,” Harry said shyly. With a whoop unbecoming a Malfoy, Draco picked up the smaller wizard and swung him around the room in a bear-hug.

“What did you do?” he asked, when a giggling Harry had been set back on his feet, and tea had been conjured. Harry had insisted on performing the spells, the novelty of having magic flowing through him again, not yet worn off.

“No idea,” Harry said through a biscuit that he was devouring. “I’ve been performing unintentional wandless magic all morning.”

“And blaming me for it,” Teddy said, only a little indignantly. "I bet I won't get my wand early, now."

“We’re hoping,” Severus said smoothly “that you could help us learn more about the soul bond that Harry and I seem to have developed. I’ll admit, I had dismissed the notion as young witch’s fantasy before this happened. We can only ascertain that Harry’s returned magic is related somehow.”

“It’s possible,” Draco said thoughtfully. “There are three types of bonds that can develop. One is a kinship bond. It develops between a Guardian and their protege. It’s usually used to allow for an apprentice to develop their skills more closely by tapping into the skills of their Master. This type of bond develops as a result of a ritual, though, so unless you two get up to some really freaky stuff, I don’t think it applies here.” Harry blushed again, and Draco grinned.

As Severus cleared his throat, Draco continued. “Another bond is more of a friendship bond. It’s said that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin enacted an Amicitia bond. And, there was also gossip that Dumbledore and Grindelwald did so as well. This bond develops after great personal sacrifice is made on the part of both parties, but there’s a specific incantation in latin that needs to be said. It also needs to be completely intentional. Although each of you sacrificed for one another in your lives, I doubt you’d be able to unintentionally stumble into such an arrangement. It goes against the spirit of the magic.”

Severus was watching Harry as Draco explained the nature of the Amicitia bond. As Draco had explained the sacrificial nature of the bond, Harry looked troubled, but relief washed over his features as Draco reasoned that it was an unlikely fit. “Good,” he said firmly. “I don’t fancy a bond that develops through sacrifice. It’s too transactional. If I gave anything to Severus, it was willingly, not a sacrifice.”

“Then it has to be the third type of soul bond. These ones are super rare, which is why, Severus, you’ve dismissed it as the fantasies of a school girl. Heart bonds are pre-ordained, blessed by the gods. There have been a handful in written history. They’re super special, though. If the soul-paired couple manage to find one another and meet with pure hearts, the bond forms automatically. The writings about heart bonds suggest that you’ll experience a dramatic increase in shared magical power.”

“Well, that explains it, then. We’re sharing your magic, and, since the bond has caused it to increase, it’s enough for the two of us. That’s good.” Harry turned back to the plate of biscuits placidly.

“But Harry, don’t you want to understand it more? There could be unintended consequences.” Severus despaired that Harry was again blindly accepting his circumstances.

“Nope,” Harry said calmly. At Severus’ frustrated groan, he smiled. “Sev, weird stuff has been happening to me since I was a baby. Seeing as how this isn’t someone trying to murder me, I’m struggling to see the downside.”

“But-“

“Severus, do you love me?”

Severus felt his neck flush. “Yes, Harry.” Draco smirked at what served as a declaration of undying love from the reserved man. Teddy mimed gagging.

“Great. I love you too. We’re bonded. I have magic again. Teddy’s feeling better. Severus, I never dreamed I’d have a family. After the War, I never thought I’d have magic again. In the span of twenty-four hours, my wildest dreams have come true. Forgive me for not questioning it.”

“Well, when you put it that way.” Severus, uncharacteristically, grinned. “So now what?”

“We go on.”

***Finite***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, guys, the end of this fic! I have really enjoyed taking this journey with you all, and your comments and kudos have made the experience so lovely. This has been my favourite story of all that I've written so far, and I am thrilled that you seem to like it as well.
> 
> I love this Harry, Severus and Teddy, and wouldn't object to writing a sequel or oneshot, if anyone had ideas of what might happen next.
> 
> Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so supportive of a new fanfic writer. I hope that you come back and read more of my stories.


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